S2H Team

India brought the curtain down on their home leg of the FIH Pro League with a 4-0 win over debutants Ireland at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela on Sunday. Goals by Neelakanta Sharma (14′, pc), Akashdeep (15′), Gurjant Singh (38′) and Jugraj Singh (60′, pc) helped the hosts take third spot in the nine-nation league and put them on a firm platform to launch their campaign in Europe beginning on May 22 with a match against Argentina in Antwerp.

The Irish, who came in place of Nations Cup winners South Africa who withdrew, did themselves proud despite the scoreline and the run of eight defeats from as many matches including a 0-7 at the hands of Spain on Saturday.

India who huffed and puffed before scoring a last-minute winner to make it 1-0 in the first meeting with Ireland in the mini tournament in Bhubaneswar, will look back on a team effort marshalled by midfielder Manpreet Singh who was adjudged Player of the Match.

Manpreet revealed that the team dedicated the win to goalkeeper Krishan Pathak who left the squad to welcome the birth of his son. The news explained the padding up of Sumit who stayed on the bench while the seasoned PR Sreejesh did duty for the entire match.

Ireland dispelled a stereotype in terms of being a gallant, solid defensive unit by coming out to attack. Ranked 12th in the world, the Irish had more of the ball in the first quarter but were hit by not just one but two goals against the run of play in the dying minutes of the session.

Ireland forced more penalty corners than India in the match (4-2), two of them arriving in the first quarter itself along with a gilt-edged opportunity to score from open play when Jeremy Duncan just failed to get hold of a fine pullback from the right-hand goal line.

India punished the debutants with a splendid goal by Neelakanta who blasted in a rebound off Jamie Carr’s pads during a PC taken by Harmanpreet Singh. The diminutive midfielder scored with a downward hit that sent the ball one bounce into the net much to the delight of the packed stands.

The cheers hardly subsided when India were 2-0 up — Akashdeep slotting home from close range after Sanjay, sparkling on the day, crossed into the circle with a backhander from the left edge of the circle.
India sustained their purple patch with video referrals as Ireland made a brave effort to sustain attacking intent and two PC decisions were overturned in the second quarter.

Gurjant, who scored the only goal in the teams’ last meeting, entered the scoresheet yet again with a gem of a goal scored with a lunging deflection after Manpreet executed a precise cross into the circle with a quicksilver backhander early in the third quarter.

Ireland didn’t relent in their quest to score but Sreejesh was equal to a John McKee backhander and at the other end, with three-quarter-time beckoning, Carr brought off a save to deny Gurjant. A yellow card to Moirangthem Rabichandra didn’t cause dislocation to India’s plans. The hosts forced a PC but Harmanpreet’s drag flick was taken care of by Carr.

The impressive Irish goalkeeper shone again two minutes from time to deny Sanjay who reverse hit from the right edge of the circle after a fine run and cross by Sukhjeet. India, however, made it 4-0 at the fag end when Jugraj found the boards with a drag flick that found the gap between Carr and the right-hand postman.

The Netherlands ended Australia’s seven-match unbeaten streak in the league with a 5-3 victory to consolidate their position at the top of the table. The Dutch have tallied 26 points from 12 matches. Australia are hot on their heels with 20 from eight. With 15 from eight, India are a rung adrift. Argentina (13/8), Germany (8/4), Spain (7/8), Great Britain (4/4), Belgium (3/4) and Ireland (0/8) occupy the fourth to ninth spots.

The winners of this edition will be awarded a direct spot in the 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by The Netherlands and Belgium.