Ranchi, Jan 14 Kathryn Mullan scored the lone goal as Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Delhi SG Pipers in the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium here on Tuesday. Kathryn Mullan struck in the 23rd minute for Bengal Tigers, against the run of play, in the second quarter and the Tigers fought tooth and nail to hold on to the one-goal lead for the rest of the game.
The beginning of the match was end-to-end with the Tigers making the first circle entry and Delhi SG Pipers responding through Deepika who posted up with the ball soon after and passed to Emma Puvrez in the circle but it was intercepted. Delhi SG Pipers went on to earn a couple of penalty corners with five minutes left in the first quarter but Deepika’s attempts on goal were saved by Grace O’Hanlon. The Tigers held on and earned a penalty corner of their own in the last minute of the quarter but failed to muster a shot on goal.
Delhi SG Pipers took the initiative in the second quarter, earning a penalty corner within minutes, but Stephanie De Groof’s shot was shut down by Grace O’Hanlon again. The Pipers’ onslaught continued in the minutes that followed but Grace and the Tigers’ defensive unit remained alert in goal to deny Deepika and Preeti Dubey’s shots.
However, on the 23-minute mark, the Tigers embarked on a counterattack and found Kathryn Mullan who lifted the ball over onrushing keeper Elodie Picard to score against the run of play. The Pipers surged ahead in search for an equaliser towards the end of the second quarter but the Tigers scrambled to defend their slender 1-0 lead.
The Pipers further raised the tempo in the third quarter, with Navneet Kaur threatening to score from open play and penalty corners but she was missing the finishing touch. They made a slew of penalty corner opportunities but the Tigers continued to rebuff all advances on their goal and went on to regain control over the ball towards the end of the third quarter.
Bengal Tigers started on the front foot in the last quarter, aiming to double their lead, while continuing to showcase exemplary defence. Meanwhile, Delhi SG Pipers’ forays into the opposition circle became few and far apart. Halfway through the quarter the Pipers began pushing the Tigers into their own half and created multiple chances and a few more penalty corners but Deepika and Navneet Kaur could not find the back of the net and the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers held on to their narrow 1-0 lead.
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