Lions continue to roar with convincing win
Shreedutta Chidananda
Karnataka Lions maintained its recent barnstorming run with an efficient 3-1 defeat of Delhi Wizards at the KSHA Stadium here on Saturday.
In what was its final league game at home, the side notched up its third straight win to soar to third place on the World Series Hockey table, with a semifinal place now a serious possibility.
Ravipal Singh and Jarnail Singh scored first-half goals before Delhi pulled one back. Crowd favourite Len Aiyappa then put it beyond doubt with a penalty corner conversion five minutes from time.
If there was any fatigue from having played less than 24 hours ago, Lions’ players showed no signs of it. The side set off at a rapid tempo from the whistle, pushing forward relentlessly. Regular skipper Arjun Halappa was missing through suspension but his absence was not felt.
As Jarnail and Vinayak Bijwad posed problems with their pace, the opening goal felt around the corner. Goalkeeper Kamaldeep Singh saved a drag flick from Aiyappa but Ravipal Singh was on hand to tap the rebound in.
A mishap in the Delhi defence brought Lions its second goal. In the 17th minute, Bijwad and Jarnail were allowed prime space in the circle; the former squared the ball and the latter comfortably scored.
Lions’ play expectedly slowed down thereafter; Delhi, meanwhile, improved from its ragged earlier self, finally managing to string a few moves together. The visitor did soon score, but not without a good slice of fortune. Rajpal Singh dribbled into the area before firing across goal; the ball deflected in off defender Abhishek Singh.
Just as Delhi looked threatening, Lions hit back. Ravipal — who was off the field with a green card when the opponent had scored — orchestrated a couple of moves upfield. The penalty corner that the home crowd had been baying for finally arrived. Aiyappa did his job.