BPCL draw 1-1 with IOC

Had their forwards not squandered the chances that came their way,Indian Oil Corporation could have won the match but they were punished for poor finishing and some good defending from the opposition team. Out of three penalty corners awarded to them,they could convert only one. In the dying minutes of the match,they could have snatched a well-merited win as Hamza Mujtaba penetrated his way into opposition circle from the right flank and unleashed a powerful reverse flick.

However,an alert AC Kuttappa,the BPCL goalkeeper,made a brilliant save. And before any IOC player could capitalise on the rebound,the ball was promptly cleared.

IOC had taken the lead in the 30th minute when last match hero Didar Singh converted their first penalty corner. BPCL made few counter-attacks and they were able to restore parity in the 47th minute when Olympian Sabu Varkey scored a superb field goal. BPCL were awarded just one penalty corner which they muffed.

In another low scoring affair,Punjab National Bank got the better of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation by a solitary goal scored by Damandeep Singh in the 16th minute. PNB were able to keep the slender lead intact till the end of the match and collected full points.

Meanwhile,Army XI,who had defeated Oil and Natural Gas Corporation in their first Group B quarter-final league on Thursday,were held 1-1 by Air India who had a strong line-up in the form of former mercurial Dhanraj Pillay,Prabhjot,Tirkey and Sameer Dad among others. Army XI took the lead through Rajesh Lakra in the 31st minute when he converted a penalty corner. Joga Singh restored parity for Air India in the 53d minute.