Rourkela, Jan 3 Yet to score their first outright win in the event, Delhi SG Pipers face a keen contest when they take on second-paced Shrachi Rarh Bengal Warriors in their third match of the Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Saturday.
Delhi SG Pipers have drawn both their matches so far and have come from behind in both games. The Pipers defeated Team Gonasika 4-2 in a shootout after the opening game of the tournament ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time. Delhi went down 4-5 against Hyderabad Toofans in sudden death after overturning a 0-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter.
Argentine striker Tomas Domene has been Delhi SG Pipers' star player until now, scoring both goals against Gonasika in regulation time. Gareth Furlong scored from a penalty corner and Dilraj Singh scored from a field goal against the Hyderabad Toofans. The Bengal Tigers are on a roll after winning both their matches and are one of two teams with a one hundred percent record. UP Rudras are currently leading the standings by virtue of a better goal difference than the Bengal Tigers. Delhi SG Pipers are currently third with three points from two games.
Delhi SG Pipers head coach Graham Reid understands the significance of Saturday's match and the need to get three points on the board.
"It's interesting three days gone pretty quickly, especially with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. We gave the boys a complete day off. The rest of the time we have spent looking at as many videos as we can. I was pretty happy with the number of opportunities we created in the first game, in the second game not so much, so that is something we have been working on."
"The connections between the three lines, defence, midfield, and forward is going to be a major thrust for tomorrow night," Reid said on the eve of their third match.
The Australian, who coached India to the Tokyo Olympics bronze, is very well aware of the threat the Tigers pose. "Bengal Tigers are a very well-organised unit. They seem to have got their act together with both with the ball and without the ball. They have got two world-class Indian strikers in Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh and they also have Jugraj Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh from a flicking point of view," he added.
"I think they are beatable and if we play well and work to our game plan then we can play against them," he said.
Delhi SG Pipers defender Jarmanpreet Singh, who was recently conferred with the Arjuna Award, too is optimistic about Saturday's match and doesn't want to really think about the first two fixtures.
"It's just the start, we have played just two matches. I think we have performed well till now. It's a new team, new players, and development will happen. We are just trying to understand each other," he said. "We will give a tough fight to them. We are ready", he signed off.
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