Rourkela, Jan 13 Tamil Nadu Dragons held their nerves to clinch a 3-2 thrilling win over Delhi SG Pipers at the Men's Hockey India League (HIL) at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium here on Monday.
Experienced goalie David Harte remained the cynosure of the Dragons' defence while goals by Jip Janssen (6'), Nathan Ephraums (19'), and Blake Govers (21') ensured the Dragons a well-deserved win that took them to the top of the pool standings. For the Pipers', Tomas Domene (2', 37') was the only one to get his name on the goalsheet.
Earlier in the first quarter, it was the Delhi SG Pipers who got off to a rollicking start with an opening goal in only the second minute of the match. It was a PC superbly converted by Tomas Domene. He picked up a fine injection to fiercely flick the ball past the experienced David Harte.
Unfortunately for them, a defensive error saw them concede a PC in the 6th minute and lose the 1-0 lead. Jip Janssen showcased great form to convert from the PC, finding the centre of the net, giving little chance for Pipers' defenders to stop him. This was Janssen's fifth goal of the league.
It took little time for the Tamil Nadu Dragons, who have been in great nick in the league so far, to take the lead in the second quarter. In the 19th minute, Nathan Ephraums struck a splendid field goal fetching his team a 2-1 lead while Blake Govers struck another brilliant field goal in the 21st minute. The game catapulted in the Dragons' favour in a span of just two minutes.
But the Pipers bounced back in the third water when a crucial video referral went in their favour with the third umpire awarding them a penalty stroke. Tomas, taking the strike, made no mistake in putting this past Harte narrowing the goal deficit to 2-3. The following few minutes saw both teams trade PCs but they could convert. The final quarter was intense with the Pipers' pushing to equalise while the Dragons dearly held on to their 3-2 lead. A good video referral by the Pipers saw them win their fifth PC of the match in the 49th minute. Tomas taking charge of the dragflick did well with a powerful strike but Harte was excellent at the goalpost.
Even though Jarmanpreet picked up the rebound from Harte's save, he could not put it past him, missing out on a golden chance to equalise. With a little over four minutes left, Pipers won another PC. Despite a re-award, they couldn't make the most of it. Whetton, playing a captain's game, fetched a crucial PC for the Pipers in the 57th minute. But the chance went begging with Harte remaining the cynosure of the Dragons' defence and deservedly winning the Player of the Match award.
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