Hi-Fliers pip Steelers to meet Dynamos in PHL final

By IANS

Chandigarh : A Len Aiyappa brace saved the day for Bangalore Hi-Fliers as they defeated defending champions Orissa Steelers 5-4 in a penalty shootout in the fourth edition of the Premier Hockey League (PHL) here Saturday to set up the title clash with Chandigarh Dynamos.


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After being tied 2-2 in the regulation time, both teams failed to score in the additional time for the silver goal and the match at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium went into the tie-breaker.

For Steelers, Prabodh Tirkey and Roshan Minz were successful and Damandeep, Kim Chul and William Xalxo failed to score, while Tushar Khandekar and Sebastian missed the first two strokes for Hi-Fliers but Arjun Halappa, Vikramkanth and Sandeep Michael found the target to take them into the final.

Earlier in the regulation time, Steelers took an early lead in the 11th minute through Sunil Ekka. Within five minutes, Ekka scored his second goal to double the lead for the defending champions.

Down by two goals Hi-Fliers, however, came back strongly and Aiyappa reduced the gap in the 23rd minute from a short corner.

Thereafter, Hi-Fliers tried hard to get the equaliser but Steelers held on stubbornly in the defence. But with eight minutes to go, Hi-Fliers got the much-awaited equaliser, once again through their penalty corner specialist Aiyappa to drag the match into extra-time.

Hi-Fliers’ custodian Bharat Chetri was declared man of the match for his heroics.

Earlier in the day, local favourites Dynamos edged past Hyderabad Sultans 5-3 in tie-breakers, after the match was tied at 1-1 in the regulation time and additional time also failed to break the deadlock.

Dynamos made a dramatic comeback into the match with seconds to go in the silver-time period. After a dull and drab regulation time where both teams failed to raise the game to the expected standards, the match was pushed into the extra-time of two five-minute halves for the silver goal.

A speedy run into the circle by Pramod Kumar saw Hyderabad Sultans earn a short corner in the 73rd minute and drag-flick specialist Diwakar Ram sent a waist-high flick to the right of goalkeeper Baljit Singh.

However, with only a few seconds left on the clock, Dynamos drew level with a gem of a goal to extend the match. Dynamos earned a free-hit in the midfield and Sandeep Singh sent a powerful through ball into the circle. Deepak Thakur stretched his stick in front of the goalkeeper to deflect the ball into the goal.

Dynamos made three exciting moves in the second half of extra-time but failed to score. In the tie-breaker, both teams had five stroke-takers who got eight seconds each for a one-on-one battle with the goalkeeper.

In regulation time, Hyderabad Sultans wasted two short corners while Sandeep Singh’s flick flew over the bar from the only penalty corner that Dynamos forced.

In the shoot-out, Rajpal Singh, Deepak Thakur, Ravipal and Gaurav Tokhi succeeded for Dynamos while only Pramod Kumar and Didar Singh scored for Hyderabad Sultans. Prabjot Singh failed for Dynamos while Saradara Singh and Bikas Toppo flopped for Hyderabad. Pawal Lakra did not take the stroke as the result was already decided.

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