Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 25 (ANI): Rajdhani Royals succumbed to yet another defeat on Sunday, as Pardeep Mor’s Mainpat Titans thrashed the opposition 5-2 in the evening encounter of the Chhattisgarh Hockey League.
This loss has paved the way for Royals’ early ouster from the tournament, as they failed in every department. Nonetheless, the first quarter looked flat for the better part of 15 minutes, where both the teams were more than happy to just manoeuvre the ball in the midfield and get a rare circle penetration. But then a hurried attack towards the end saw Mainpat create a chance in the circle, with Manish Vatti scoring for the first time in the match, as per a press release.
Rajdhani too swung into action, with Aniket coming in with an equaliser after being fed a ball from outside the circle by Raushan. Surprisingly enough, about 30 seconds later Raushan did beat the Titans keeper Alfaz Khan to score, but the goal was disallowed, leaving the forward in utter disbelief.
Mainpat made full use of this lifeline and struck again when Sandeep Thakur got a great pass from the midfield, leaving them in the lead at 2-1 at half-time. A moment of brilliance did come from Lalit, though, when he scooped the ball to Raushan from a fair distance, and the latter managed to deflect it into the goal; perhaps it can be called the ‘goal of the tournament’. IN the same quarter, Mainpat got ahead in the race once more, when Mohit Nayak scored through a reverse flick.
But some ordinary play from Lalit’s side meant the lead became 4-2 for Titans when Prince got a goal for them. That was also the end of the match for Royals, by all means, since attacks were hard to come by for them. One of the biggest issues that continued to hurt Royals was their inability to convert the PCs. They could not get any goals in that department. After the completion of the match, Mohit Nayak was named the striker & player of the tournament.
October 26 will once again see encounters – Sanskardhani Strikers will take on Bailadila Bulls, while Chakradhar Champions will be up against Mainpat Titans.
Nyayadhani Knights move a step closer to a semi-final berth after a 4-1 win over Bailadila Bulls.
With an impressive 4-1 victory against Bailadila Bulls, Nyayadhani Knights have almost assured themselves of a semi-final berth in the inaugural Chhattisgarh Hockey League.
Knights have now won three out of three, moving to the top of the points table. On the other hand, Bulls remain in the bottom half with no wins to their name. Drag-flicker Chirag was the star of the match, who got his hat-trick in the encounter, while the opposition’s sole goal came from the stick of Jaskaran Singh. Chirag, for his efforts, was named the striker & player of the match.
The match was played in the presence of the Minister of State for Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu; the Deputy CM & Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Arun Sao Ji; MP Kamlesh Jangde; and ex-cabinet minister Mahesh Gagada. (ANI)
Mainpat Titans produce special 5-2 victory against Rajdhani Royals in match 7 of Chhattisgarh Hockey League
