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The Tamil Nadu Dragons piled on the misery on a winless Delhi SG Pipers side with a thrilling 3-2 win over Graham Reid's team in the Hockey India League (HIL) on Monday (January 13).
Tomas Domene sought to inspire the Pipers with a brace and several purposeful solo sprints but the sheer strength of the Dragons was more than the Delhi side could handle.
Jip Janssen scored his fifth goal of the tournament, thus making him the highest goalscorer of the competition thus far while Nathan Ephrams enthralled the crowd with a spectacular stand-and-deliver strike from open play.
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Raj Kumar Pal picked up Tomas Domene in the circle who earned the first penalty corner for the Pipers in the second minute. Domene then beat David Harte with a well-directed drag flick that gave David Harte no chance whatsoever.
The Tamil Nadu Dragons manufactured their first penalty corner in the sixth minute. Jip Janssen scored with a low drag-flick to the left of the goalkeeper, taking his tournament tally of goals to five in the process.
Blake Govers managed to take a crack on goal in the 12th minute but failed to connect as well as he would have liked to, with Benjamin Rennie managing to stop the stifled shot.
Nathan Ephraums latched on to a pass from Amit Rohidas with his back towards the goal before slipping the ball past goalkeeper Pawan in delectable fashion to make it 2-1 for his side in the 19th minute.
Blake Govers then slotted a rebound into the goal after Sudev Abharan's shot had been cleared by the goalkeeper in the 21st minute. Jake Whetton opined that the umpire blew his whistle without gesturing for the Dragons' free hit outside the circle which Coen van Bunge vehemently denied.
Tomas Domene managed to steal the ball from Amit Rohidas before sprinting away into the circle all by himself but was thwarted by Jip Janssen just before the long breather.
Domene did manage to take a shot from an acute angle which found the side netting much to the dismay of the Pipers in their sixth Hockey India League game.
A push by Selvam Karthi in the circle resulted in a penalty stroke for the Pipers in the 37th minute. David Harte very nearly pulled off a save but Tomas Domene's effort from the spot trickled into the net thus allowing the Pipers to reduce the margin.
Jake Whetton powered his way into the attacking circle and earned a penalty corner in the 42nd minute. Varun Kumar's drag flick was stopped by David Harte.
A wily penalty corner variation foxed the Dragons' defense a minute later but Tomas Domene's shot off a slip pass missed the target by a whisker.
A series of penalty corners earned by the Pipers in the final quarter came to naught as a result of which there was no change in the position of either side in the Hockey India League points table.
The Tamil Nadu Dragons have consolidated their position at the top of the Hockey India League standings while the Pipers continue to stay at the bottom.
Hockey India League Points Table Men's League Phase (Monday, January 13)
Hockey India League 2024/25: Men's League Fixtures (Tuesday, January 14)
Team Gonasika vs Soorma Hockey Club, 8:15 pm IST (Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium)
