INDIA DOWN JAPAN IN FEISTY MATCH

S2H Team

India warmed up for the quarterfinals with a 5-3 win over hosts Japan in their concluding Pool ‘A’ Men’s Olympic hockey match at the Oi stadium on Friday.

Youngsters in whom coach Graham Reid placed huge faith came to the party in a fast-paced match, the outcome of which brought India their 12^th point from four victories, one adrift of table leaders Australia who were denied a 100 percent record by Spain who forced a 1-1 draw.

A brace by Gurjant Singh and goals by Shamsher Singh and Neelakantha Sharma followed the opening goal in the 13^th minute by drag-flicker Harmanpreet from India’s first penalty.

Japan, playing for pride, rode on emotion in a quest for their first win here after spirited performances in earlier matches that brought just one point from a draw with New Zealand.

They kept in touch with their illustrious opponents with goals by Kenta Tanaka, their star forward, Kobe Wanatabe and Murata Kazuma who scored for the hosts.

There was some anxiety for India when star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh bore the brunt of a drag-flick on his right knee in the fourth quarter but, if anything, the custodian continued to look in good nick as the minutes ticked by.

 The Indian think-tank will still keep fingers crossed over Sreejesh’s fitness ahead of the quarterfinal clash against an opponent still to be decided but there will be other issues that the camp would like to set right.

After a turnover led to India’s second goal in the 17^th minute by Gurjant who put away Simranjeet’s assist, a defensive lapse by Birendra Lakra, who gave away the ball to Kenta Tanaka, led to Japan’s first goal just two minutes later.

Tanaka needed no second asking and darted into the circle in a trice before slamming in to the left of Sreejesh.

The pace continued to be hot as the two teams played with little or no anxiety of quarterfinal spots but there was no change in the scoreline, thanks to Sreejesh who blocked Kazuma’s attempt as halftime beckoned.

But there was no denying Japan in the 33^rd minute when Wanatabe’s goal was upheld after a referral concluded that the umpire’s signal for a penalty stroke went a split instant after the ball entered the goal off Surender Kumar’s shoulder.

Japanese celebrations had hardly finished when Shamsher Singh put India 3-2 ahead with a fine deflection to Nilakantha’s airbore hit from top of the area in the 34^th minute.

India went 4-2 ahead after a spectacular long aerial ball by Harmanpreet from the left was collected by Surender Kumar who found Nilakantha. The youngster fluently deflected past goalkeeper Yoshikawa Takashi in 51st minute.

It was 5-2 in the 56^th minute when Gurjant deflected home Varun Kumar’s drag flick at India’s fourth penalty corner.

But Japan were not done yet and Kazuma who slotted into an open goal after the enterprising Kenta Tanaka slipped the ball to him after winning a one-on-one battle with a sprawled Sreejesh.