The Hindu : Sport : Dynamos edges Hi-Fliers in the first final

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Dynamos edges Hi-Fliers in the first final

Vijay Lokapally

Scintillating performance by Rajpal

It was a creditable win as Dynamos was without Prabhjot
The second final will be held on Wednesday

— Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

ACTION APLENTY: Chandigarh Dynamos skipper Rajpal Singh is thwarted by Bangalore Hi-Fliers goalkeeper Bharat Chetri in the first final of the PHL.

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Dynamos found its fluency at the opportune time to play havoc with Bangalore Hi-Fliers in the first of the ESPN Premier Hockey League finals here on Monday.

A near-packed house cheered the home side as Rajpal Singh produced a scintillating performance to fashion his team’s 3-2 victory at the Sector 42 Stadium.

Hi-Fliers had anticipated a surge in the Dynamos attack and there was no respite this evening when Rajpal, Inderjit Chadha and Deepak Thakur formed a lethal combination to split the opposition with some sterling forays.

There was a method to the Dynamos’ dominance — wait to counter-attack and ensure that Hi-Fliers did not get the ball in the midfield.

Stylish play

Thakur’s opportunism, Rajpal’s flair and Chadha’s fervour marked Dynamos’ stylish play against the uncharacteristically lethargic Hi-Fliers.

Of course, the Bangalore outfit came into its own in the last quarter when it forced five penalty corners and even reduced the margin but Dynamos hung on to win the contest.

It was indeed creditable as Dynamos took the field without forward Prabhjot Singh, who is unlikely to play anymore in the tournament due to a finger injury. Rajpal played his heart out. Support from Thakur and Chadha meant that the Hi-Fliers defence was on its toes.

Dynamos also used Sher Singh and Dharamvir Singh in short spells to rattle Hi-Fliers for which Arjun Halappa and Tushar Khandekar stood out upfront while You Hyo Sik strove hard to keep the attacks going.

“Both teams were on level terms. Luckily for them they scored and we could not. But, we will bounce back,” stressed Khandekar who came up with a fascinating run to fashion Hi-Fliers’ first goal.

Dynamos went into the lead as early as the second minute when Sher Singh deflected home a Sandeep Singh free-hit. The response from Hi-Fliers was immediate when Sik let go a reverse flick that goalkeeper Baljit Singh did well to palm off.

Sensational goal

There was trouble in the Hi-Fliers camp in the seventh minute when Rajpal showed his individual brilliance to rock it with a sensational goal. Two defenders were left chasing Rajpal’s shadow and another just watched him change track in a flash and enter the circle. A step inside and Rajpal scored with a flourish that had the spectators on their feet. Dynamos was truly in control now.

Hi-Fliers accepted the challenge and responded strongly through the dashing Khandekar. He did not score but he deserved the goal.

From a counter-attack, Khandekar began a sensational run, left the Dynamos defence stranded, lured the goalkeeper out, and flicked the ball for Sandeep Michael to coolly tap it in. It was the kind of goal that makes hockey a grand spectacle.

Opportunistic strike

Dynamos slowed down the pace and Hi-Fliers failed to innovate. The third goal for Dynamos came through an effort by Rajpal, who found an unmarked Thakur.

In a demonstration of splendid opportunism, the latter sent a scorcher from the top of the circle. Hi-Fliers goalkeeper Bharat Chetri could not even react.

In the final quarter, Hi-Fliers camped itself in the rival half, scored a goal through Hari Prasad, but could not alter the result. Dynamos was a worthy winner.

The second of the best-of-three finals will be played on Wednesday.

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