Indian Oil thrash Army XI in Gold Cup hockey, Prabhjot shines

Former international Prabhjot Singh notched up three field goals as Indian Oil, Mumbai drubbed Army XI, Bengaluru, 7-1 in a Pool B encounter to knock the services outfit out of the 51st Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament here today.
Prabhjot scored his team's second, sixth and seventh goals - the latter two in the last ten minutes of the one- sided game between two former champions, while Gagandeep Singh scored the first and third goals from the field.
Gurjinder Singh struck a rebound home off a long corner from the left for Indian Oil's fifth goal before captain and ex-international Deepak Thakur rounded off the tally at the fag end of the match with a close-range effort.

The lone consolation goal for the Army outfit, champions in 2008 and 2009, was scored off a penalty corner early in the second half by B Poovanna.
The huge defeat bundled Army XI out of the competition as they had lost to local outfit Central Railway two days ago in the three-team group.
Central and Indian Oil will fight it out on December 2 to decide who, from among them, will enter the semis.

In another all-Mumbai game in Pool D, local super league runners-up Western Railway edged out Bombay Republicans 3-2 after holding a 2-0 half-time lead.
Nitin Tigga, Rajan Kandulna and Amit Rohidas scored for the railmen while for Republicans, who ended their campaign with their second loss in the group, Navin Kheretkar and Anurag Sharma were the goal getters.

Western would fight it out with local league champions Indian Navy tomorrow to decide who progresses into the play- offs.