Mumbai Customs down Central Railway

MUMBAI: Mumbai Customs subdued a fighting Central Railway 2-1 in the 47th Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at the Mahindra Stadium on Thiursday.

Customs took the lead in the 26th minute through a weak penalty corner attempt by Romeo Albuquerque which rolled past a lethargic defence into the goal.

With the Railwaymen yet to recover from the setback, Customs struck again two minutes later with a quick move that resulted in Irshad Mirza latching on to the ball on the right and slamming it in to give his team a 2-0 lead.

The change of ends saw Central move with more purpose and they initiated regular moves to put Customs under sudden pressure.

The railmen succeeded in breaching the Customs defence in the 66th minute when Babar Khan, lurking near the goal, deflected the ball home from a crowded area but the strike came too late to make a difference to the outcome.

The first round win set Customs up against another Mumbai side Indian Navy tomorrow and the winners would qualify for the second stage of the tournament, the quarter final league, commencing on April 21.