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The Hyderabad Toofans booked a place for themselves in the final of the Hockey India League with a fluent 3-1 win against the Soorma Hockey Club on Friday (January 31).
Amandeep Lakra gave the Toofans the lead off a penalty corner in the second quarter before Jacob Anderson doubled the lead for Pasha Gademan's side after half-time.
Shilanand Lakra sealed the deal for the Toofans following a speedy counterattack thereby earning the Hyderabad side the right to play the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers in Saturday's final. The Soormas reduced the deficit off a penalty corner at the death.
Gonzalo Peillat attempted to find Talwinder Singh in vain when the Toofans earned their first penalty corner in the eighth minute. Talwinder though failed to deflect Peillat's drag flick goalwards.
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Bikramjit Singh in goal for the Toofans did well to stop Harmanpreet Singh's drag flick in the 15th minute. Vincent Vanasch kept Peillat's drag-flick out of harm's way after the Toofans won a penalty corner at the other end in the 19th minute.
Arshdeep Singh manufactured a penalty corner for his side thanks to a scorching run in the 24th minute. Amandeep Lakra's drag-flick beat Vincent Vanasch off the re-award to give the Hyderabad Toofans the lead in the 25th minute.
Mukul Sharma found Harmanpreet Singh's foot in the circle in the 32nd minute but Gonzalo Peillat was unable to strike the target via the resultant penalty corner.
Sumit angled one in for Rajinder Singh who shot wide even as the Toofans refused to take their feet off the pedal. The pressure paid off after a long ball from Harmanpreet was stolen by the Toofans and slotted in by a diving Jacob Anderson in the 35th minute.
The Soormas earned two back-to-back penalty corners in the 42nd minute. Bikramjit Singh pulled off a couple of saves even as the Toofans launched a lightning counterattack.
The Soorma players who were busy making a point to the umpire were caught off guard with Nilakanta Sharma beating Vincent Vanasch with a scorching tomahawk in the 43rd minute.
Jeroen Baart's team wasted over a dozen penalty corners earning a flurry at the death with Bikramjit Singh standing tall. Jeremy Hayward finally managed to score a consolation goal off a penalty corner in the 60th minute.
Shrach Rarh Bengal Tigers had earlier edged TN Dragons in a thrilling shootout. The Dragons will take on Soorma HC in a battle for the third spot on Saturday.
Leading scorers in the Hockey India League thus far
Thierry Brinkman leads the list of goalscorers in the Hockey India League having scored a whopping 10 goals from open play. The Lancers though did not make it to the playoffs for Brinkman to build on his tally.
Jugraj Singh had a goal disallowed during the first semifinal but has managed to net a total of 9 thus far. With the Bengal Tigers in the final, Jugraj Singh has a chance to get past Brinkman's tally.
Tomas Domene has scored eight for the Delhi SG Pipers, while Alexander Hendrickx has a total of seven goals in the Hockey India League.
Gonzalo Peillat has scored 6 for the Hyderabad Toofans while Tim Brand has scored five. Both players will look to net a few more when the Toofans play the final of the Hockey India League on Saturday.
