BPCL score over Railwaymen

BPCL now await the winner of the Indian Airlines-Punjab Sind Bank quarter-final tie, while Punjab Police meet the victor of the Air-India-Sikh Regiment quarter-final encounter.

The BPCL-Central Railway game was evenly contested. Central had the first try in the very second minute when International inside-left Jamsher was put through by Shammim Baig. The former, however, was foiled by International goalkeeper Jude Menezes who charged out and blocked the dangerous Jamsher.

Goalkeeper Jude brought off another save off Jamsher following Central’s first-penalty corner in the seventh minute.

Olympian Sabu Varkey dazzled twice with two splendid thrusts to bring the BPCL attack into the picture after 13 minutes had elapsed. But on the first occasion, BPCL spearhead Amar Aiyamma, who had a good day, was thwarted by Central goalkeeper Arun Gurung once, and the other Sabu chance went abegging after Aiyamma failed to trap.

The sustained BPCL pressure paid dividends in the 23rd minute. Aiyamma made amends for his earlier lapses by flicking the ball home from close after Central goalkeeper Arun Gurung had padded a penalty-corner strike by defender Ajay Kumar.

Goalkeeper Gurung kept the Central defence from falling a second time when he blocked a Vaman try following a pass by Aiyamma.

Central then regained the attacking reins and had two chances of restoring parity. First Hasrat Qureshi shot wide after being put through by Jamsher and then spearhead Shammim Baig had the mortification of seeing his push being saved on the goalline by defender MK Prakash after goalkeeper Jude was beaten a minute before the end of the first-half.

In the second-half, Central began in right earnest and initially pinned BPCL into their own half. But they enforced five abortive penalty-corners and a try by Arif Baig which was blocked by goalkeeper Jude before BPCL came roaring back with their counter-offensives.

KT Mohan and SS Gill missed sitters and once Gurung blocked Ravi Nayakar’s try to prevent BPCL from registering a comfortable victory.

PUNJAB POLICE ADVANCE: Rail Coach Factory called the tune in a sustained manner against Punjab Police in the first-half. They even had stroke awarded to them besides enforcing seven penalty-corners, compared to only two by the cops.

RCF captain Jagmohan Singh missed the stroke after team-mate Marinus Ekka was brought down in the circle by defender Ramandeep Singh.

The second-half came alive with two goals coming in the span of two minutes after seven minutes of play. RCF left-winger Lalit Lakra gave his side the lead when he scored of a reverse-hit that went home between the narrow gap of the near upright and goalkeeper Roshan Lal’s pads.

But Punjab cops levelled terms through defender Jagdev Singh who slammed home their sixth penalty-corner. Spurred on by the equaliser, Sarabjit made the most of a pass by Gursewak Singh to make it 2-1 in the 62nd minute and Daljit Singh Dhillon neatly pushed home from an indirect penalty corner hit to round-off their tally.