Australian striker Glenn Turner scored twice as Kalinga Lancers inflicted the third straight loss to Delhi Waverriders with a 4-0 win in the Coal India Hockey India League (HIL) at the Kalinga Stadium here on Friday.
Turner scored two field goals -- each counting as two in this edition of HIL -- in the sixth and 56th minute as Lancers posted their fourth win of the six-team tournament.
With this win, Lancers moved to the top of the league standings with 22 points from six matches. Defending champions also have 22 points but are behind on goal difference, while Waveriders dropped a spot to be fifth with 17 points -- same as Uttar Pradesh Wizards but behind on goal difference.
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Playing a match five days after their away win over Dabang Mumbai on January 31, Lancers began the match with high note putting pressure from the beginning on the visiting Waveriders, who suffered two back-to-back losses against Wizards and Jaypee Punjab Warriors respectively at the start of the week.
With few minutes into the game, tournament's leading scorer Turner opened the account for the home team tucking in a great field goal within the legs of an onrushing goalkeeper Devon Manchester.
Soon after bagging a field goal, they also earned a penalty corner, but Lancers failed to capitalise on it.
During the end of the first quarter, the host team were leading in the match by 2-0. The second quarter remained goalless as the defence of both the teams stood strong while the goalkeepers put up some good shows.
With the beginning of third quarter, Waveriders resorted to playing some attacking shots desperately trying to level the score. But, the Lancers were at their high. They thwarted every move of the visiting team that was constantly building pressure on them.
As both the teams were making their efforts to edge out each other, the third quarter also remained goalless with Lancers leading the match 2-0.
With the beginning of fourth quarter, the Lancers and Waveriders again started playing attacking hockey, leaving their opponents any room to score.
Delhi had a couple of chances to score into the fourth quarter. But, the goalkeeper and the defenders of the Lancers did not allow their rivals to pass the ball to the goalpost.
Lancers were controlling the ball well throughout the game not giving Delhi too much possession to get back into the game. As a result, they earned the much-needed goal from the stick of none other than Turner.
Turner successfully hit the ball, deflected by his teammate Malak Singh, to the goalpost giving his team a cushioned 4-0 lead. Even though Delhi earned a penalty corner in the last minutes of the game, they could not capitalise it, ending the match with a 0-4 loss.
