Aranha slams four in A-I’s route to semis

MUMBAI, APRIL 30: Edward Aranha stole the thunder as Air-India trounced Oil and Natural Gas Commission, Dehra Dun, 4-2 in a pre-quarterfin...

MUMBAI, APRIL 30: Edward Aranha stole the thunder as Air-India trounced Oil and Natural Gas Commission, Dehra Dun, 4-2 in a pre-quarterfinal clash of the All-India Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup Hockey Tournament. The lanky left-winger slammed home all four goals for the local side at the Mahindra Stadium on Sunday.

With this victory, Air-India stormed into the semi-finals where they await the winner of the Sikh Regiment-Bharat Petroleum clash. The airmen gained a berth into the last four as Punjab and Sind Bank, who were seeded into the quarter-finals, have cried off.

In the other pre-quarterfinal fixture of the day, Central Reserve Police Force, Neemuch, failed to put in an appearance against BHA Colts. The latter now take on Border Security Force, Jalandhar, on May 2.

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In what turned out to be a one-sided game, Aranha scored the first of his four goals in the seventh minute. He swept the ball to the boards after trapping a long diagonal from the right by team-mate Kishore Kumar.

Kishore also had a hand in the second Air-India goal. He showed fine skill as he cut in past three defenders and then unleashed a goalmouth cross from the goalline on the right which Aranha tapped home from handshaking distance in the 11th minute.

The Dehra Dun team were a demoralised lot thereafter and threw in the towel. The airmen then added salt to their wounds by striking again twice in the 29th and 34th minutes.

Aranha then struck again following his team’s fifth and seventh penalty-corners. He first deflected to the boards Rajesh Chavan’s forward pass and next, scored in similar fashion after captain Cornelius D’Costa had harnessed him with another forward pass.

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ONGC scored both their goals also via penalty-corners. Ranjit Kumar scored from close after Air-India goalkeeper Baljit Singh had blocked a stinging shot by Balwant Singh in the 47th minute.

Balwant Singh then reduced the margin further when he beat goalkeeper Baljit with angular drive from the top of the circle late in the game.

Air-India could have scored in the second-half too, but Surinder Singh failed to make the most of a stroke in 55th minute. His feeble push was saved by ONGC goalkeeper Gurinder Singh with a dive to the right.