Kalinga Lancers registered their second straight win of the second season of the revamped Hockey India League, defeating defending champions Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers 2-1 in Chennai on Thursday (January 8). The Tigers, who began with a win against Soorma Hockey Club, have since slumped to two successive defeats.
Cooper Burns, Craig Marais, and Liam Henderson kept the Tigers’ deep defence on their toes throughout the course of a riveting opening quarter but failed to draw first blood. The Tigers came into their own in the second quarter, but neither team could break the deadlock ahead of the long breather.
The pace slackened in the third quarter before a frantic final quarter witnessed the Lancers scored twice off penalty corners. The Tigers scored the lone goal of their third Hockey India League contest from open play.
Abhishek was triple-teamed on the edge of the right flank by the Lancers’ defence in the fifth minute before Gauthier Boccard thwarted an onrushing Craig Marais at the other end.
Jamie Carr in the Tigers’ goal was forced into a save by Boby Singh Dhami in the seventh minute. The rampant Lancers continued to attack the goal with Carr having to leave his mark in the 10th minute.
Christopher Ruhr was at the forefront of a rare Tigers’ move in the 12th minute, but the ball caught the German stalwart’s foot in the attacking circle. Gursewak Singh then sent in a skier off a pass from Christpher Ruhr in the 18th minute.
Gursewak earned the Tigers their first penalty corner in the 20th minute by forcing Krishan Pathak into a save. Pathak did well to keep Jugraj Singh’s linear drag flick out of harm’s way.
Ketan Kushwaha picked out CB Poovanna with a long aerial in the 27th minute, but the lad from Coorg shot wide.
Sukhjeet and Enrique Gonzalez manufactured a splendid move in the 29th minute, with the Indian striker attempting to set up an onrushing Christopher Ruhr, but the foray was foiled by Krishan Pathak.
The Tigers earned their third penalty corner in the 43rd minute. Christopher Ruhr’s drag flick was swept away by the defender at the right post.
Jamie Carr fell back onto the goalline in an attempt to stop a powerful strike from Boby Singh Dhami in the midst of a fiery final quarter of the crucial Hockey India League contest.
Jaskaran Singh conceded a penalty corner for playing on after the umpire’s whistle had blown for a free hit in the 51st minute. Jamie Carr came up with yet another save to deny Hendrickx.
The Lancers won a short corner immediately after. Hendrickx beat Carr with a drag flick that took a touch off the post-man in the 52nd minute.
Affan Yousuf got the final touch after Sukhjeet Singh used his sublime 3D skills to angle the ball for the 31-year-old from Bhopal in the 56th minute, thus levelling things up for the Tigers.
Boby Singh Dhami pounced on the rebound off an Alexander Hendrickx drag flick to slot the ball home from close range in the 57th minute.
Thanks to today’s win, the Kalinga Lancers have moved up to the second spot on the Hockey India League points table.
Hockey India League: Updated Points Table Men’s League Phase (Thursday, January 8)
Hockey India League 2024-25: Men’s League Fixtures (Friday, January 9)
Hyderabad Toofans vs Soorma HC, 5:00 pm IST (Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai)
TN Dragons vs SG Pipers, 7:30 pm IST (Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai)
Edited by Subhashish Majumdar