Last year’s runners-up Kalinga Lancers survived several hiccups before edging out defending champions Jaypee Punjab Warriors 6-5 in a thrilling match of the 5th Hockey India League here at Kalinga Stadium Hockey Complex today.
Riding on a skipper’s brace by Moritz Fuerste and a field goal each by Glenn Turner and SK Uthappa powered home favourites Kalinga Lancers galloped to 6-0 lead. But a spirited Punjab Warriors took the high-scoring match down to the wire thanks to a field goal by Mark Gleghorne and one penalty cornner conversion each by Satbir Singh, Min Van Der Weerden and Arman Qureshi.
The emphatic win, their fourth in six matches and first ever against Punjab Warriors in eight meetings, catapulted Kalinga Lancers to the top of the league table with 20 points and almost ensured them a berth in the semifinals. On the other hand Punjab Warriors remained at the fifth position with six points, suffering their second defeat in three outings.
The hard-fought match almost ended in a dramatic draw as the electronic scoreboard read 6-6 after Qureshi’s scoring effort was counted as a field goal. However, after a video referral, which was rightly sought by the home team, the goal was rectified as penalty corner conversion and Lancers led 6-5. Warriors also had a chance to snatch a last-minute draw through a penalty corner, their ninth and last in the match. But that too went in vain.
It was Punjab Warriors, who started on an aggressive note, earning two penalty corners back-to-back penalty corners in the third minute. Though drag-flick expert Mink Van Der Weerden successfully converted the second one, the goal was disallowed after video referral.
After taking some time to read the opposition game plan, Kalinga Lancers went on the offensive, earning their first penalty corner in the ninth minute. But Gurjinder Singh’s drag-flick was brilliantly palmed over by goalkeeper Warriors’ custodian Tristan Clemons. However luck smiled on Lancers two minutes later when star striker Glenn Turner gave them the lead with a field goal, deflecting a clinical pass by Matthew Dawson.
Lancers increased their lead to 4-0 in the second quarter as captain Fuerste deftly converted their second and third penalty corners in the 18th and 28th minutes. They also frittered away three opportunities to score a field goal. Warriors had two opportunities to in this quarter to reduce the margin through penalty corner. But Mink’s drag flick hit the upright on the first occasion and the second one too proved abortive.
With Lancers leading 4-0 at the half time, the match seemed to be a lop-sided affair. Lancers swelled their lead to 6-0 thanks to a field goal by SK Uthappa, who sounded the board after brilliant one-two with Turner in the 32nd minute.
Punjab Warriors started their fight back with Gleghorne scoring their first and only field goal in the 34th minute, deflecting a Varun Kumar pass. They further reduced the lead to 3-6 through their fifth penalty corner in the 35th minute when Satbir Singh scored from the rebound.
Punjab Warriors launched a series of attacks in the last quarter and their efforts bore fruit as Mink Van der Weerden and Arman Qureshi successfully converted the team’s seventh and eighth penalty corners in the 52nd and 57th minutes respectively.
Kalinga Lancers pocketed all four individual wards of the match. Captain Moritz Fuerste was adjudged the Man of the Match, while his teammates Glenn Turner, Matthew Dawson and Lalit Upadhyaya bagged the Goal of the Match, Young Achiever of the Match and Most Entertaining Player of the Match awards respectively.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Players of Kalinga Lancers celebrate after scoring a goal against Punjab Warriors in Bhubaneswar on February 3, 2017.