Indian Oil and Air India will once battle it out for supremacy in the MHAL (Mumbai Hockey Association Limited) Super Division League 2015 at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate on Thursday.
Reigning champions Indian Oil ground out a fighting 5-3 win against Namdhari XI In the concluding Pool-A league match on Tuesday. The oilmen topped the pool with 16 points from five wins and one draw.
Union Bank of India defender Conroy Remedios (left) in an attempt to avert danger, hits the ball past Air India attacker Aiyappa P.R..
Indian Oil full back Bikramjit Singh scored two goals from a penalty stroke in the 39th minute and a penalty corner in the 61st minute, while Prabhjot Singh (36th), Gagandeep Singh (64th) and Deepak Thakur (69th) got the other three goals. For Namdhari XI their penalty corner specialist Bhagat Singh converted their first penalty corner in the 7th and then scored from a penalty stroke in the 46th minute before Shamsher Singh netted the third in the 57th minute.
Earlier, last year’s runners-up Air India clawed their way back to overcome Union Bank of India by a tight 4-3 margin in the final Pool-B league match. The oft-crowned champions Air India finished on top of the pool with 16 points from five wins and a draw.
The airmen did not have a smooth ride as the young Union Bank players put up a god attacking display against their more fancied opponents who comprised several former Indian stars in their ranks.
Union Bank rocked the Air India citadel when Thockchum did well to slot home past Air India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh in the 6th minute. Air India after a couple of missed attempts finally found the equaliser when Prithvi Raj converted their third short corner in the 28th minute.
After switching ends Union Bank once again found success early with Thockchum scoring with a deft deflection in the 38th minute. The experienced Air India came back nicely scoring two quick goals through Cheeyanna (50th) and Pillay (56th) to take the lead before Union Bank drew level when Sharma with a fine diving effort got the third goal in the 60th minute.
However, Air India scored again in the 65th minute through captain Shivendra Singh to seal the win.
Simranpreet Singh (Namdhari XI) and Nirmal Chinnappa (Air India) were later declared as the ‘Man-of-the-match’ in their respective matches and both were presented with a cash award of Rs 1,000 each.
Wednesday is a rest day and the grand finale will be played on Thursday at 4.30 pm.
Results
Pool-A: Indian Oil 5 (Prabhjot Singh 36th, Bikramjit Singh 39th, 61st, Gagandeep Singh 64th, , Deepak Thakur 69th) beat Namdhari XI 3 (Bhagat Singh 7th, 46th, Shamsher Singh 57th). Man-of-the-match: Simranpreet Singh (Namdhari XI).
Pool-B: Air India 4 (Prithvi Raj 33rd, A.B. Cheeyana 50th, Vikram Pillay 56th, Shivendra Singh 65th) beat Union Bank of Inida 3 (Kiran Thockchum 6th, 38th, Rajat Sharma 60th). Man-of-the-match: Nirmal Chinnappa (Air India).