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The Hyderabad Toofans moved up the Hockey India League points table after a 1-1 (4-3) shootout win against the Soorma Hockey Club on Saturday (January 11).
In the second match of the evening, two brilliant back-to-back goals at the stroke of half-time set the tone for an intense contest. The UP Rudras, however, prevailed 3-1 against the Delhi SG Pipers thanks to a couple of late penalty corner conversions.
Following the well-earned win which was their third in the competition, the UP Rudras are now placed second in the Hockey India League standings.
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Shilanand Lakra took a shot on goal in the third minute but ended up sending in a skier that sailed over the crossbar even as the Hyderabad Toofans appeared the more purposeful of the two sides early on.
Nicolas Della Torre manufactured a penalty corner for the Soorma Hockey Club in the eighth minute. Della Torre powered his side into the lead off a drag flick that changed direction after taking a deflection off a defender beating goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya in the process.
The Soormas went upstairs in the 37th minute for a dangerous ball in the circle thus earning themselves a penalty corner but Harmanpreet Singh's drag flick was way off target.
The Toofans earned a penalty corner of their own soon after. Amandeep Lakra sent in a scorcher of a drag flick that beat Vincent Vanasch in the 40th minute.
Both teams failed to find a winner even as Harmanpreet Singh hobbled off the pitch in pain in the dying minutes. The Toofans prevailed in sudden death in the shootout that followed with Dominic Dixon guarding the goal.
Jarmanpreet Singh forced James Mazarelo into action with a shart reverse from close range in the third minute with the Delhi SG Pipers looking to force the pace early against the UP Rudras in the late-evening game that followed.
The UP side earned their first penalty corner in the fifth minute with Kane Russell deftly slipping the ball to Sam Ward who missed the target by a whisker. Ward missed the target again, this time from open play, a minute later as the Rudras sought to dominate proceedings.
The Delhi SG Pipers earned three back-to-back penalty corners midway through the second quarter. The third was overturned by the video umpire after Tomas Domene failed to strike the target with the first two.
Jake Whetton produced a spectacular goal from open play, pouncing on a bouncing ball before dispatching it into the back of the net off a powerful tomahawk in the 29th minute.
The Pipers barely had time to celebrate though as Floris Wortelboer displayed his magic to equalise by tapping the ball over a diving and onrushing Benjamin Rennie following a solo sprint into the circle down the right flank.
Kane Russell's drag flick enabled the UP Rudras to veer ahead with a 2-1 lead in the 43rd minute of their fifth Hockey India League game.
Tanguy Cosyns made the most of a penalty corner earned in the 53rd minute with a lethal drag flick which sealed the deal for Paul van Ass's side. The winless Pipers, meanwhile, continue to languish at the bottom of the Hockey India League standings.
Hockey India League: Updated Points Table Men's League Phase (Saturday, January 11)
Hockey India League 2024/25: Men's League Fixtures (Sunday, January 12)
Hyderabad Toofans vs Kalinga Lancers, 6 pm IST (Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium)
