Comets claw back from the brink

Chandigarh Comets, down 3-0 by the seventh minute, clawed back in style to beat Pune Strykers 4-3 in an exciting World Series Hockey (WSH) encounter on Monday.

Once Damandeep Singh, Simrandeep Singh and Gurpreet Singh sounded the boards for Strykers, it looked as though Comets would be eclipsed by the visitors.

However, Rehan Butt brought some relief and confidence in the ranks when he reduced the margin in the 13th minute.
Drawing level

Strykers continued to enjoy a two-goal cushion till the 34th minute before Gurjinder Singh was bang on target for Comets. Sukwinder Singh levelled the score three minutes later, scoring a field goal.

With both teams defending stoutly for the rest of the match, a draw was a distinct possibility. The final quarter saw some desperation from both sides to score, but each frittered away a couple of golden chances that came their way.

But, a penalty stroke awarded in the 70th minute earned Strykers’ ire and an opportunity for Comets to gain full points, something that seemed impossible after seven minutes of play. Sukwinder showed calm and craft to slam the ball home as Comets recorded an incredible 4-3 win to trigger celebrations in the stands.

The win took Comets to the second spot in the table with 15 points from nine games while Strykers remained on 12 from nine.

The result: Chandigarh Comets 4 (Butt, Gurjinder, Sukwinder 2) bt Pune 3 (Damandeep, Simrandeep, Gurpreet).

Tuesday’s matches: Chandigarh Comets vs Delhi Wizards, Chandigarh, 7 p.m.; Chennai Cheetahs vs Bhopal Badshahs, Chennai, 9 p.m.

Keywords: World Series Hockey