Air-India sink Indian Navy

MUMBAI, MAR 2: Defending champions Air-India, needed a wake-up call before registering their fourth consecutive victory in the Mumbai Supe...

MUMBAI, MAR 2: Defending champions Air-India, needed a wake-up call before registering their fourth consecutive victory in the Mumbai Super League Hockey Championships at the Mahindra Stadium on Thursday. Stung by a thirteenth minute goal scored by opponents Indian Navy, the airmen made three quick changes, managed to draw level at the break and in the next session systematically annihilated their opponents to emerge 5-1 victors.

With the three points they earned, Air-India took their tally to twelve points in four matches. While Indian Navy minus a couple of new recruits and their goalkeeper RVS Prasad, who returned after representing India in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, are now struggling in the league. They have a lone victory and a couple of draws besides two defeats which gives them a tally of five points.

The shock for Air-India came following a long scooped clearance for Navy left half K Singh. Olympian Gavin Fereira failed to get to the ball enabling opposing skipper PL Murugappan a free run on the left. The latter released the ball just outside the circle for Ashok Kumar, whose square pass was then swept by Murugappan past international Edgar Mascarenhas Jr in the A-I goal.

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Doing a quick rethink A-I brought on international Deepak Thakur part of the Indian team in the Azlan Shah Cup alongwith the ever dangerous Gagan Ajit Singh. With Harpreet Singh at centre half in place of Gavin Fereira who moved up as the left link the airmen had the Navy rearguard under considerable pressure.

They got five penalty corners before break and were able to equalise with the fifth. Cornelius D’Costa scored with a thundering shot after Kishore Kumar stopped the ball clean and released it quickly.

Navy suffered in the second half owing to a tactical error they committed. They needlessly took off seasoned defender James Peter Ekka after their regular defender Bittusingh finished serving a temporary suspension.

The wily Edward Aranha surprised Navy ‘keeper Subhash with a first time sweep from a Rajesh Chauhan pass after Kishore Kumar had done the spadework.

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Within a couple of minutes (45th), Gagan Ajit came up with a flying backhander after Deepak Thakur made a beautiful run inside the circle and released the ball to the former. The next goal was a beauty. The running Aranha sensing the charge from rival keeper Subhash just lifted the ball over him as Deepak found him with a stiff forward pass. Air-India rounded the tally on the call of time with Kishore proving his worth with a neat pass to an unmarked Aranha, who relayed it to Rajesh Chauhan to sweep the ball to the boards in a flash.