Persistence and pugnacity came in the right blend to ensure full points for Sher-E-Punjab against Chennai Cheetahs in a stirring Sunday contest in the World Series Hockey (WSH) tournament at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.
The 4-2 outcome underlined the edge the Punjab team enjoyed for the major part of the contest.
Sher-E-Punjab continues to be the top outfit in the competition, notwithstanding a couple of reverses in recent matches. It is still on top of the table with 25 points.
On Sunday, there was no dispute about the Punjab outfit being better organised than its rival.
Unfazed by the first goal, which Adam Sinclair scored with a superb one-touch on the run off a pass from Vikram Pillay, the Punjab squad tightened every department. Playing a perfect man-to-man style, Punjab closed down all routes for Chennai.
Inderjit Chadha worked with commendable zeal and skill, and was supported well on the right by Vinaya in the midfield. The Punjab forwards kept increasing the pressure on Cheetahs every minute.
Deepak Thakur and Karamjit Singh exposed the chinks in the Cheetahs' armour frequently as Sher-E-Punjab forced five penalty corners against the three by the host.
The equaliser was not long in coming. Bikramjit Singh pumped in a penalty corner without fuss after an earlier attempt by Prabhdeep Singh was foiled by goalkeeper Santosh.
Thereafter, exchanges were lively for a while before the Punjab outfit enlarged the lead off a penalty corner hit by Harpreet Singh.
The pace of the contest had accelerated by then, with the crowd expecting a penalty corner for the home team.
And when it surfaced, the fans chanted “Warsi, Warsi” and the Pakistani star did not disappoint. The 2-2 scoreline only heightened the tension and excitement.
It became quite clear at the start of the third quarter that Sher-E-Punjab was on the ascendancy. There was a noticeable vibrancy in the frontline sallies, with Vinaya side-stepping the defenders with delectable ease.
It was one of his surges that culminated in Matthew Hotchkis deflecting the ball into the net, leaving the Cheetahs defenders stunned. Predictably, Sher-E-Punjab began to guard its lead, leaving little scope for the host to stage a comeback.
To make matters worse, the Cheetahs attack lacked sharpness. A feeble attempt by Rearden in the final minutes went agonisingly close to the target.
It was Sher-E-Punjab which celebrated the final minutes as veteran Gagan Ajit Singh slammed home a cross from Thakur.
The result:
Sher-E-Punjab 4 (Bikramjit, Harpreet, Hotchkis, Gagan Ajit) bt Chennai Cheetahs 2 (Sinclair, Warsi).
Monday's matches:
Chennai Cheetahs v Chandigarh Comets, Chennai, 7 p.m.; Pune Strykers v Delhi Wizards, Pune, 9 p.m.
