Match No. 53

Day 27: Thursday 29.3.2012:

Comets blow Lions 6-1 to grab top position

The action-packed Bridgestone World Series Hockey is headed for one of the most exciting finish in a league anywhere. Chandigarh Comets displayed sensational hockey today in front of their home crowd to thrash the seemingly rejuvenated Karnataka Lions 6-1, and grabbed the top position in the table, replacing the invincible Sher-E-Punjab, with 28 points from 14 matches. The Shers are now three points behind them and have just one match remaining to play.

Gurjinder Singh struck four goals in the match, to take his personal tally to 18 goals as he moved to the top of the Golden Stick race along with Chennai Cheetahs’ Pakistani import, Imran Warsi.

Karnataka Lions had rested their key players, including penalty corner specialist Len Aiyappa and will be looking to forget this match as early as possible and focus on the semifinals. On the other side, Chandigarh Comets unleashed their penalty corner specialist Gurjinder Singh, who scored a hat-trick and went on to become the joint top-scorer along with Pakistan drag-flick specialist Imran Warsi and missed an extended short corner at hooter to go one-up at the top as he missed his fifth goal of the day.

It was Karnataka who took the lead after missing a couple of sharp chances in the barren first quarter, through Sandeep Singh, who converted from a set-piece when his drag flick brooked no answer from the Comets goalkeeper in the 25th minute. But their joy was short-lived, as Comets aggressive attack began as they started dominating the play with better exchanges and more ball possession. They earned a short corners in 33rd minute and drag-flick specialist Gurjinder Singh converted to get the equalizer. Immediately Comets took lead with a brilliant goal where a diving Ramandeep Singh sent in a reverse hit after collecting a rebound from the custodian at the top of the circle to take a 2-1 lead at half-time.

Then Gurjinder scored twice in the space of two minutes make good use of two short corner in the 55th and 56th minutes to get his hat-trick and a 4-1 lead for Comets. He got one more in the fag end, his fourth goal which took his tally to 18 in the charts in the 68th minute. He missed one on the hooter is a different story. Inbetween, Barkat scored a field goal in his second attempt after the goalie blocked the first try in the 64th minute.

But Karnataka appeared cool and resting their key players may prove strategic if they can forget this match and play with renewed vigour with key scorer Len Aiyappa joining back.

Ramandeep singh was the man of the match.

Match No. 54

Day 27: Thursday 29.3.2012:

Strykers fight back to beat Badshahs 5-4

In a dramatic comeback which featured a 8-minute blitzkrieg of hat-trick from colt Simranjit Singh Randhawa and an opportunistic last goal by Birendra Lakra, Pune Strykers cancelled out a 1-4 deficit in the last 10 minutes of play to frustrate Bhopal Badshahs to hand out a 4-5 defeat and thus stay in contention for the semifinal in the Bridgestone WSH.

Bhopal Badshahs built up a 4-1 lead with a brace from Waseem Ahmad and a goal apiece from the stick of Karan Baskaran and Affan Yousaf, but the Pune Strykers woke up late and came out with a sterling comeback not only to cancel out the deficit but also to post the winner three minutes before the hooter.

When the score stood 4-4 after Simranjit Singh came out with three penalty corner conversion in the space of eight minutes, Birendra Lakra made use of slack defence of Bhopal to fetch the winner. Pune will now wait for the last WSH match between Chennai Cheetahs and Mumbai Marines billed for Friday for their way to the semis.

Pune would require the last match to end in a draw or Cheetahs’ defeat to ensure their passage to the knock out phase. The Cheetahs have 19 points now while Strykers have 21 from their 14 matches. That a semifinalist will be decided only in the last match of the month long league speak for the suspense the WSH had thrown up.

Bhopal Badshahs and Pune Strykers were in dire need of outright victory today in their 14th and their last pool match, to stay in contention for the lone semifinal berth, as Chandigarh Comets, Sher-e-Punjab and Karnataka Lions have already booked their berth for the knock out phase.
Badshahs and Strykers dished out a fierce battle to stake claim for the eluding semis slot, but the former struck early to unsettle their rivals. The host team went in to the business of scoring straightaway to the joy of the full stands. After Lalit Upadhyay missed a sitter, the evergreen Waseem Ahmad showed his class to mastermind Bhopal’s success, scoring on his own or guiding others to strike. Waseem latched on to a close range rebound to strike first goal, and then sent a parallel pass from right baseline which Karan Baskaran gently guided to the left of goalie Gurpreet Singh. Waseem again set up Affan Yousaf for another goal.

Undaunted, Strykers made some inroads but they failed before the charged up custodian Baljit Singh. Nikkin Thimmaiah got Baljit on wrong foot to strike Pune’s first goal.

On the chance of sides, goalie Gurpreet Singh conceded a stroke for Waseem to complete his brace, to bring the score 4-1 in their favour. Instead of consolidating their gains, Bhopal dug themselves into a defensive mode and let the game fritter away from them.

Pune came charging thereafter, and made a mincemeat of Bhopal’s defence. Colt Simranjit Singh changed the course of the match with three impeccable conversions to bring the scoreline level and then Brindra Lakra had the last laugh.