Cheetahs go down to Sher-e-Punjab

Sandip G

26 Mar 2012:
CHENNAI: Until Karnataka Lions’ late bloom, a semifinal spot looked ordained for Chennai Cheetahs. But Lions’ overnight victory and their 2-4 loss to Sher-e-Punjab here on Sunday have ensured that the Cheetahs’ route to the final four isn’t hassle free.

Having endured a relative slump in form after their spectacular start, Punjab were less flamboyant and more purposeful. Affected by winger Prabhjot Singh’s absence, they weren’t quite as aggressive as they had been in the tournament.

They were further forced to circumspection when Cheetahs took the lead in clinical fashion. Vikram Pillay sped forth, with as many as three markers snapping at his coattails, and gave a sweetly placed through ball to Adam Sinclair, who tucked the ball home.

The seventh-minute goal was perhaps the impetus Punjab required to seek a more aggressive approach.

They applied sustained pressure on the Cheetahs, whose defence isn’t their most bankable asset. Their intrusions weren’t pacy, but Bikramjeet Singh duly converted their second penalty corner — an example of placement rather than power.

He was on the bench when Punjab earned their third penalty corner, but their firstchoice Harpreet Singh ensured they weren’t to mess up a vital lead. But keeping the benumbed crowd in the match, Cheetahs drew level in the 32nd minute, though Imran Warsi’s wasn’t the cleanest of efforts.

Nonetheless, it took a deflection of Harpreet’s flannel to the net.

That was an intense passage of play, wherein neither side created any realistic chance but had tussles in the midfield. Cheetahs, in fact, looked more vulnerable to a lapse, and the equaliser originated from one of their stray attempts.

Post the break, Punjab pursued a more open approach, with Deepak Thakur on the forefront of their moves. His pace might have gone down a few notches, but the silken skills seemed untouched by the vagaries of time and injuries.

The hosts, though, had the first clear chance but Joseph Reardon flayed it over.

But otherwise, their attempts were feeble on rare occasions they sneaked into Punjab arc.

It needed only seven minutes into the third half for Punjab to reclaim the lead.

On one of their rare forays through the right, Mandeep Antil dished out a clever back pass to an unmarked Matthew Hotchikis, whose reverse hit was powerful and accurate.

Though doubts pertained to whether he was inside the scoring area during his execution, replays confirmed positively, and Cheetahs were again forced to catch-up.

They had a brace of halfchances, only to be spurned.

Sinclair, despite stretching his stick, couldn’t direct the cheeky cross from Reardon while Warsi spurned a late penalty corner. Gagan Ajit Singh, a talent gone astray, scored the fourth goal in the 67th minute.

Despite the loss, Cheetahs are still well-placed to advance to the semifinal but not unless they find a goalscorer other than Warsi.