The proverb ‘All well that ends well’ is perfectly applicable for the Bangalore Hi-Fliers team as they fought back hard, after trailing 0-1 in the best of three finals sealing the issue in their favour in the remaining two finals, to regain the Premier Hockey League (PHL) title after a gap of year.
Hi Fliers team got the better off local favourites and title contenders Chandigarh Dynamos team 2-1 in a keenly contested third and last final of the 4th Premier Hockey League played at the Sector-42 stadium here on Friday.
Incidentally, Hi-Fliers won their first title by edging past the same opponents whom they beaten in 2006. It is a indeed an irony that Dynamos team got the lead in the first two finals but in the decider Hi- Fliers raised the standard of their game to the occasion and held their fort tightly to deny opponents any margin of scoring.
The Dynamos had taken the lead in first of the best of three finals on Monday, winning the match 3-2 before the Hi-Fliers drew level taking the second final 4-2 and thus clinched the title 2-1 in the grand finale.
The Bangalore team took home a winner's purse of Rs 40 lakh, while the runners-up bagged Rs 20 lakh prize money. In addition Hi-Fliers also collected Rs 1.5 lakh after being chosen for Fairplay Award.
In the deciding rubber, both the teams got off the blocks very fast and displayed some attacking brand of hockey, but unlike the last two matches where the Hi-Fliers had conceded two early goals as they defended firmly this time.
Hi-Fliers not only protected their citadel but also made some electrifying moves in the rival’s danger zone as Dynamos survived some close calls early on. Despite some fast game both the teams couldn’t be able to produce a single goal in the first quarter.
However, Hi-Fliers' custodian Bharat Chhettri survived a scare early in the second quarter by saving a certain goal from Deepak Thakur. The Chandigarh forward looked the most dangerous in the field but it was just not his day as he missed number of chances throughout the match.
Hi-Fliers shot ahead in their first penalty corner three minutes before half time. Len Aiyappa, who couldn’t convert the penalty corners in the first two finals, got the crucial 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute with his swift drag-flick that took onrusher Sandeep Singh's stick and deflected into the top corner of the Dynamos' goal.
Dynamos didn’t be able to connect together to bring out any planned forays as many of their crosses went abegging in the second quarter. They got three chances in the third quarter to draw level but failed to capitalise on any of them.
With time passing by it was getting difficult for the Dynamos team to stage any comeback into the match and eventually what happened that was not expected either from the crowd or from the Dynamos team. Hi-Fliers' supple Korean import You Hyo Sik doubled its team’s lead in the 62nd minute to dash any further hopes left for the opponents.
Dynamos, under pressure, strike back through Deepak Thakur but Chhettri again denied him the goal. Even though Sandeep Singh got a consolation goal from a penalty corner in the closing stages of the game but it was too little and too late as less than a minute was left for the final hooter.
The two semi-finalists Hyderabad Sultans and Orissa Steelers were richer by Rs five lakh each. Hi-Fliers' goalkeeper Bharat Chhettri was adjudged Man of the Match. Team-mate and former captain Arjun Halappa was adjudged man of the tournament, while Dynamos Sandeep Singh, with nine goals, was the top scorer of the tournament.
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