Every match of the 89th all-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Friday was played in different weather conditions, and it all added to the charm.
Under heavy showers, Army XI had the measure of Indian Railways in winning 4-3 while Punjab & Sind Bank brooked no challenge from SAIL in a 4-1 victory in pleasant conditions.
In the first match of the day, Karnataka played out its second successive draw, sharing six goals with Namdhari XI in hot and humid conditions.
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PSB took time to settle down to a rhythm. There was no push from the midfield, there were mis-passes aplenty and action was confined mostly to the middle of the pitch. But once PSB scored its first goal through Vikramjit Singh, whose drag-flick found the roof of the net, the unit started to work like a well-oiled machine.
Second win
Army’s confident march continued as it overcame a robust challenge from Railways to bring up its second win on the trot; not that it was easy, especially in the last five minutes of the match despite a two-goal cushion.
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Railways forced two penalty corners but Army XI did well to thwart both. However, seconds before the hooter, Railways reduced the margin when Malak Singh scored off a penalty corner. However, it was too little too late.
Unlike the match against IOC the other day, it was a contest in which Karnataka had no business settling for shared honours. The biggest of Karnataka’s weaknesses so far in the tournament has been its frontline which has missed the easiest of chances at the goalmouth, and it stayed that way against Namdhari.
Leading 3-1, it allowed Namdhari to come back into the match. A wonderful drag-flick from Bhagat Singh into the roof of the goal reduced the margin. Without panicking, Karnataka kept attacking, but faltered at the finish many a time. The equaliser was a testament to Namdhari’s eagerness and alacrity. Inderpal Singh ran in front to try scoring off an aerial ball, but it went straight to Udampreet Singh, who slotted it home.
Namdhari had opened the account through a fine backhander from the edge of the circle by Gagandeep Singh early in the first half. After the equaliser by Sanjeev Dung Dung off a penalty corner, it was Karnataka which called the shots.
The results:
Pool A: Karnataka 3 (Thimanna 18 & 39, Sanjeev Dung Dung 22) drew with Namdhari XI 3 (Gagandeep Singh 6, Bhagat Singh 48, Udampreet Singh 59).
Pool B: Punjab & Sind Bank 4 (Vikramjit Singh 21, Gautham Pal Singh 33, Karamjit Singh 39, Pabhdeep Singh 44) bt SAIL 1 (Santosh Majhi 66); Army XI 4 (A.P. Siraju 7 & 10, Chandan Aind 29, Rajinesh Salaria 44) bt Indian Railways 3 (Mayank James 10 & 54, Malak Singh 69).