Mumbai, May 19:
Riding on the brilliance of Akashdeep Singh, who netted a hat-trick, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Delhi tamed Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bangalore 5-2 to sail into the final of the DCB Presents Aga Khan hockey tournament – 2011.
International Diwakar Ram converted a penalty stroke and Bikash Toppo with a superb deflection scored the other two goals for the Delhi side in the first semi-final, at the Bombay Gymkhana ground, on Friday evening. IOC got their goals, through second half efforts from Olympian Prabhjot Singh and Roshan Minz.
In Saturday’s finals, ONGC will take on Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Bangalore struggled to overcame South Central Railway (SCR), Secundrabad 1-0, in a far from exciting second semi-final played under floodlights. After a barren first half, Birendra Lakra netted the lone goal of the match in the 58th minute to seal their win.
In the first semi-final, ONGC playing like a well-oiled unit took control of the proceeding from the outset and hardly allowed their opponents much opportunity to get back into the match. They went ahead in the very sixth minute when Akashdeep Singh with a reverse hit scored the first of his three goals. Diwarkar doubled the lead when he converted a penalty stroke in the 35th minute. Umpire Javed Shaikh awarded the ‘stroke’ when Akashdeep was fouled by V Raghunath inside the circle.
IOC trailing by two goals to nil, showed glimpses of a fight back as managed to reduce the margin through Prabhjot’s firm angular hit, off Raghunath’s forward pass in the 43rd minute. However, in the next minute Akashdeep hit the target again to help ONGC maintain their two goal cushion.
Once again IOC fought back and managed to get their second goal in the 49th minute. After Olympian Deepak Thakur’s try came back off the goalkeeper’s pads International Roshan Minz tapped home the rebound to narrow the lead 2-3.
The dominant ONGC produced two more goals in the final five minutes to seal their passage to the summit round. Akashdeep struck once again in the 66th minute to complete his hat-trick and skipper Bikash Toppo rounded off the tally deflecting home Minz’s hit from the left.
Results
ONGC 5 (Akashdeep Singh 6th, 44th, 66th, Diwakar Ram 35th – PS, Bikash Toppo 69th) beat Indian Oil 2 (Prabhjot Singh 43rd, Roshan Minz 49th).
BPCL 1 (Birendra Lakra 58th) beat South Central Railway 0.
Today’s sports/ Sports Clock
DCB Present Aga Khan Hockey Tournament, Final, ONGC vs BPCL, 5.00 pm, at Bombay Gymkhana ground, M.G. Road.