Chitranjan’s hat-trick in Army XI victory
Army XI player Chitranjan scored a hat-trick as his team defeated MP Academy by 5-0 in their quarter-final match of the 31st All-India KD Singh ‘Babu’ Memorial Invitation Prize Money Hockey Tournament-2011, at Dhyanchand stadium, Lucknow on Sunday. The other two goals were netted by Jerum.
In another quarter-final of the same tourney, Eastern Railway, Kolkata defeated Sports Hostel team through ‘golden goal’. The score at the regular time-period was tied at 2-2.
Army XI exercised an upper hand over MP Academy from the word go. Dodging defenders, Army team forward Jerum scored the first goal in the 10th minute. Though no more goals could be scored in the first-half, however, soon after the start of the second-half, Jerum sounded the boards once again to consolidate the lead to 2-0. Chitranjan netted a well-timed goal in the 56th minute to make the score 3-0. Bolstered by this success, he scored two more goals — in the 67th and 69th minute, to complete his hat-trick and ensure a convincing 5-0 win for his team.
The quarter-final match between Eastern Railway, Kolkata and Sports Hostel was a keenly-contested one. Shams Alam of Eastern Railway, Kolkata scored the first goal in the 3rd minute. Thereafter, Sports Hostel players Nikhil (16th minute; through penalty-corner) and Vikas Kumar (32nd minute) scored apiece each to make the score 2-1 in favour of their team. However, Manoj Kumar of the Railway team netted a goal through a penalty-corner in the second-half to tie the scores at 2-2. The scores were tied at 2-2 till the final moments of the play. Extra-time was given and Manoj Kajur scored the ‘golden goal’ through a penalty-corner to pave the way for a 3-2 win for the team.
Monday’s Fixtures (both semi-finals): Eastern Railway, Kolkata vs ONGC (at 2.00 pm): Army XI vs PNB Delhi (at 3.30 pm).