Defending champions Indian Oil got off to a bright start with a facile 6-1 win against Bombay Republicans in a Pool-A league match of the 53rd All India Bombay Gold Cup hockey championship here Monday.
The Republicans put a dogged display against the superior Indian Oil side, boasting of several former Indian stars, and conceded just one goal in each of the first two quarters.
However, the oilmen scored four in the last two quarters to take the match away from the Republicans, who managed to score one goal in the third quarter.
For Indian Oil, Nilam Sanjay Xess scored two, while V R Raghunath, Talwinder Singh, Deepak Thakur and Roshan Minz struck one each, while the Republicans pulled one back through Tyron Pereira.
Earlier, in a Pool-B match, South Central Railway, from Secunderabad, drubbed local outfit Killedar XI 11-1. The goal getters for former champions SCR were M G Poonacha (2), Raju Pal (2), Sheshe Gowda (2), Lovepreet Singh, Aiyappa P R, Guebhej Singh, Pratap Lakra and Sandeep Kumar Singh (1 each).
Former international Ramesh Pillay scored the consolation goal for the losers.
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