Punjab enter quarterfinals in Senior National Hockey

In a match that was twice interrupted by rains, Services, who needed only a draw to advance to the knock-out stage, failed to deliver as Punjab notched their second win in the three-team pool.

Gurjinder put Punjab ahead with a ninth minute penalty corner conversion only to see Services bounce back with an equaliser from Lovepreet Singh (25th) who diverted a cross from Mukesh Lakra.

After change of ends, Punjab were lucky to get their second goal after Gurjinder's attempt from a 43rd minute penalty corner saw the ball rolled over the goal-line off goalkeeper PT Rao's pads and the stick of defender Rajesh Lakra whose robust tackle had resulted in the award.

 

The Services caught up a second time when Sanwar Ali found the target from a penalty corner in the 54th before the floodgates opened as Akashdeep (58th, 66th, 70th), Gurjinder (62nd) and Satbir Singh (69th) struck for Punjab.

The pool originally had five teams, but Arunachal Pradesh did not turn up and Chhattisgarh were expelled from the tournament earlier this week on disciplinary grounds.

The Services had beaten Jammu and Kashmir 18-0 in their earlier match. Punjab had won 12-1 against Jammu and Kashmir. Since Services have a better goal-difference, a draw today would have put them in the quarterfinals.

In another match at the MEG grounds, Chandigarh kept their hopes alive of a knock-out stage berth with a second win in three Pool D outings, defeating Goa 14-2 while Jharkhand beat Uttarakhand 7-1 for their second victory in as many matches. MORE