Nikkin Thimmaiah pulled Dabang Mumbai back from the brink of defeat to an honourable 3-3 draw against Ranchi Rays in the Coal India Hockey India League 2017 opener. The Indian striker applied the finishing touch to a deliberate indirect penalty-corner conversion (worth two goals) in the 59th minute. The home team trailed 1-3 till that point at the Mahindra stadium.
Christopher Ruhr was the stand-out performer for the visitors, justifying being the costliest foreigner in the league at $75,000. He floated all over the rival half, and set up a field goal for Rays with a stinging carpet drive to Simranjit. The latter responded with a neat trap and reverse hit. Ruhr later converted a stroke. Three out of four goals came in the third quarter.
Eventually, the rule awarding two goals for a field attempt, aimed at entertaining fans and giving opportunity to players in front of the goalmouth to showcase stick skills or power in their wrists, determined the outcome of the match.
Two video referrals were taken in the last minute.
Dabang’s move to question the umpire decision proved fruitful, resulting in the fifth penalty corner and the equaliser off a pass from Harmanpreet Singh.
Ruhr was kept under constant watch by the home team in the first quarter. Rays went for the direct route in the first penalty corner, Mitton’s drag was blocked by the Dabang custodian. Tryon shuttled between marking and distribution duties smoothly on the right. Manpreet got a yellow for a reckless tackle as the score remained goalless at half-time.
Ruhr turned creator on the right, spotting teammate Simranjit lurking near the centre just beyond the D. The latter trapped a powerful hit first-time and sounded the boards with the reverse hit. Harte, under the bar, was beaten by the time he shifted position and dived to block. Dabang replied with a drag-flick conversion by Harmanpreet Singh eight minutes later.
Rays’ second goal came via a penalty stroke. A Dabang defender failed to get his foot out of the way from a Sumit deflection. Ruhr stepped forward and beat Harte from the penalty spot with a firm push to the left post. Dabang forced two penalty corners in the action-packed third quarter, but did not make headway.
The score: Dabang Mumbai 3 (Harmanpreet Singh 37 PC, Nikkin Thimmaiah 59 FG) drew with Ranchi Rays 3 (Simranjit Singh 31 FG, Christopher Ruhr 38 PS) .
