By IANS
Chandigarh : Former winners Bangalore Hi-Fliers enhanced their chances of making the semi-finals while defending champions Orissa Steelers came back into the reckoning with wins in the fourth Premier Hockey League (PHL) here Saturday.
While Bangalore defeated Chennai Veerans 4-2, Orissa Steelers beat Maratha Warriors by the same margin at the Sector 42 Stadium.
Veerans, who suffered their fourth defeat in as many matches, are out of the reckoning for a semi-final berth despite playing their best match of the tournament. They dominated the first two quarters but Bangalore came back strongly in the second half to win.
Cheyanna who scored two goals was awarded the man of the match.
Veerans shot into the lead in the 14th minute, with drag-flick specialist Raghunath converting their only penalty corner with a powerful flick to the right corner of the net.
But their joy was short-lived as Bangalore restored parity within three minutes scoring a stunning field goal. In the 17th minute, capping a right flank move, Arjun Halappa sent a fierce cross into the goalmouth from the right corner of the field.
Bangalore earned the first of their three short corners in the 40th minute. Len Aiyappa’s drag flick beat an outstretched Sreejesh in the Chennai goal but the goal-bound ball hit the shoulder of Chennai defender Raghunath.
Umpire Parnam Singh consulted the TV umpire and confirmed the penalty stroke. Len Aiyappa made no mistake from the spot, shooting the ball to the right of the goalkeeper to make it 2-1.
Chennai Veerans kept themselves in the race scoring the equaliser in the 49th minute through a brilliant field goal. Suresh sent a long through pass into the circle and skipper Adam Sinclair received the ball, pulled back and tapped it into the goal.
Five minutes later, Bangalore shot ahead once again with brilliant work from their South Korean import You Hyo-sik.
In the 56th minute Hyo-sik sent a cross into the circle from the right and Sunil made an attempt to send the ball into the goalmouth. But with the ball rolling slowly, Cheyanna darted down from behind the rival goalkeeper and tapped it in the goal. The score: 3-2.
Bangalore Hi-Fliers increased the margin with a minute to go. In a counter attack from the left flank, Hyo Sik sprinted into the ‘circle’. As Chennai goal-keeper Sreejesh charged at him, the South Korean scooped the ball over his head to Hariprasad in the goalmouth. Hari controlled the ball in the air and shot it into an open goal.
In the second match, Orissa found their wonted form to keep their hopes alive for a semi-final berth.
Playing an attacking game right from the start, Orissa excelled in all the departments of the game. Their Pakistan import Shakeel Abbasi was at his brilliant best throughout the match and with Prabodh Tirkey, Sunil Ekka and Ignace Tirkey playing their hearts out, Orissa called the shots.
Orissa marched ahead in the seventh minute following an attack from the left flank. Sunil Ekka sent a stinging cross into the circle and the ball deflected off a defender’s stick before Ajitesh Rai managed to gain hold at the top of the circle. He sent a quick and rasping drive into the goal.
Orissa continued to make repeated raids into the rival citadel and increased the lead in the 50th minute. Ekka sent a zooming shot into the circle from the left midfield and Abbasi wriggled out of his marker Ajmer Singh and stretched his stick to make a brilliant deflection into the goal.
Warriors earned the first of their three penalty corners and pulled one back in the 57th minute. Warriors’ Dutch import Looijem Melchior sent a low drag flick to the boards. But Warriors’ plans of a comeback were thwarted immediately as Orissa struck back scoring two goals in two minutes.
In the 58th minute, Abbasi, put in by Ignace Tirkey, found the target to make it 3-1. With the defence out of place and only goalkeeper to beat, Abbasi caught goalie Adrian on the wrong foot and tapped through his legs.
In the very next minute, Orissa made it 4-1 with Ignace once again feeding the ball to Abbasi. This time the Pakistani cut into the ‘circle’ and dribbled ahead but as the custodian rushed out he gave a back pass and Damandeep Singh hit the ball into the open goal.
Warriors netted a consolation goal in the 62nd minute with Looijem scoring again with his waist-high drag flick from the second short corner.
Abbasi was declared man of the match. Orissa, after five matches have eight points with a match to go while Maratha Warriors are on seven points after four matches. They have two more matches in hand.