With the completion of all the 30 matches today, the semifinal line up of the third Hero Hockey India League has been drawn.
Pool toppers Jaypee Punjab Warriors will take on host team Delhi Waveriders while the other feat will be between Uttar Pradesh Wizards and emerging Ranchi Rays.
Now that the last league match was over after Punjab saw off fighting visitors Dabang Mumbai 3-2 at Mohali, ACTION moves to Delhi where semifinal and final will be played on 21st and 22nd, respectively.
Today’s last pool match saw woodenspoon and debutant Dabang Mumbai waging a grim war to secure a consolation win to finish their engagement, but two goals in the third quarter for the host team changed the complexion of the game.
Till Sandeep, who otherwise wasted three penalty corners, struck through a stroke that Gurmail Singh earned off a desparate bad play from out-of-form Tom Boon, the game appeared favourably titled towards the visiting team to Mohali.
However, now trailing 1-2, Harmanpreet injected life into the game with a neat conversion of first PC of the team – getting Jaap Stockmann stranded at the other end of the cage (2-2).
But later on as the match was seen meandering to a tame draw, came the combined move from three Australians. Simon Orchard took the ball in a dash into D, where on the left Jamie Dwyer got the ball and then selflessly passed to well positioned Kiern Govers who just placed the ball to the right of goalie David Hurt (3-2).
Then on, Harmanpreet Singh got a chance to equalize when Mumbai got a second penalty corner out of hard work by left winger Glenn Turner but he could do nothing as the pushed ball was not stopped properly, leaving him to the damage before taking a flick, it was late.
Kalinga Lancers which finished fifth and new team Dabang Mumbai will now be out of action, as all four top-billed teams move to Delhi to give fitting finishing touch to the month-long hockey extravaganza.