Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) recovered to overcome Central Railway 3-1 in an all-Mumbai Pool-B league match of the Union Bank of India-52nd Bombay Gold Cup All India Hockey Tournament, played at the MHAL-Mahndra Stadium, Churchgate on Thursday.
The Mumbai Super League champions Central Railway took off on the right track and grabbed an early lead when Mohd. Nizamuddin put the finishing touch to Vinit Kamble’s pass from the right in the eighth minute.
The star-studded BPCL outfit comprising of several Olympians and current and former internationals and a couple of junior India players in their ranks, regrouped and got their act together. They started to launch a series of raids at the Central citadel, but found goalkeeper Avadhut Solankar a hard nut to crack. Solankar made some great saves to deny former teammate Devinder Walmiki and Md. Amir Khan to ensure his goal stayed intact at the end of the first half.
However, after switching ends, BPCL upped the ante and were all over the rival territory. The Central defenders which withstood the pressure in the first session suddenly started to make mistakes, which was fully exploited by the BPCL attackers to score three quick goals. Following a penalty corner, young Indian star Dipsan Tirkey pounced on a weak clearance to sound the boards in the 43rd minute and five minutes later Amir Khan capitalized on another defensive lapse to score the second goal.
Later, Olympian Tushar Khandkar unmarked inside the circle coolly fired home with a firm angular drive in the 65th minute to secure the victory.
BPCL and CAG (Comptroller & Auditor General) of India, who had played out a 1-1 draw yesterday, finished with four points and have progressed to the quarter-finals from this pool. CAG who had defeated Central Railway 5-2 in the first match topped the pool on better goal difference.
Earlier in a Pool-D encounter, Punjab National Bank (PNB), Delhi scored twice in each half to comfortably defeat Indian Air Force (IAF), Delhi by a 4-0 scoreline. Full backs Gagandeep Singh Jr. scored from a penalty corner in the 11th minute and later converted a penalty stroke in the 48th minute for the third goal. In between, while Shamsher Singh got the second in the 25th minute while Gagandeep Singh Sr. struck the fourth in the 59th minute.
PNB meet Union Bank of India in the last pool match on Friday. Both have secured a place in the quarter-finals, but the outcome of that match will decide which team tops the pool.
Meanwhile in a match played under lights late on Wednesday evening, Indian Oil rallied to overcome Western Railway 4-2.
Results - Pool-D: Punjab National Bank 4 (Gagandeep Singh Jr. 11th-PC, 48th-PS, Shamsher Singh 26th, Gagandeep Singh Sr. 59th) beat Indian Air Force 0.
Pool-B: BPCL (Dipsan Tirkey 43rd-PC, Md. Amir Khan 48th, Tushar Khandkar 65th) beat Central Railway (Mohd. Nizamuddin 8th).
Pool-C: Indian Oil 4 (Affan Yusuf 23rd, Arman Qureshi 29th, Vikas Sharma 53rd, Raghunath Vokkaliga 61st-PC) beat Western Railway 2 (Aslam Lakra 22nd-PC, Jaikaran Kushwaha 56th).
Friday’s matches:
2.00 pm: Indian Oil vs Indian Navy – Pool-C
4.00 pm: Punjab National Bank vs Union Bank – Pool-D.
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