Air India, Indian Oil enter final
Kusum Arora
Tribune News Service
Continuing their winning spree star studded Air India, Mumbai today thrashed the hopes of rivals ONGC, Delhi 2-1 in the first semi-finals of the 27th Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey tournament being held at Olympian Surjit Hockey stadium, Burlton Park Jalandhar.
Both the teams displayed a controlled game and mounted pressure on each other right from the word go. Air India took the lead and opened its account in the 23rd minute of the game when M.Amir Khan posted a field goal 1-0.
The ONGC men managed to consolidate their lead in the 33rd minute of the play through a penalty corner conversion from the stick of Mandeep Antil 1-1. Till half time the score was 1-1.
In the second half of the match once again both teams displayed good hockey moves, especially goal keeper Gurpreet Singh of Air India thwarted the moves of the ONGC men with active defense.
Air India men lost a chance to score a goal through penalty corner conversion in the 52nd minute of the game.
It was the winning goal in the dying minutes (68 minute) of the game when Olympian Dhanraj Pillay sounded the board from a cracking hit 2-1 making it the first team to enter the finals of the tournament.
In another match of the day Indian Oil, Mumbai defeated Indian Railways, Delhi by 5-2 goals. Indian Oil, Mumbai will lock horns with star studded Air India, Mumbai in the final match tomorrow.