Delhi Waveriders defeat Uttar Pradesh Wizards 3-1

Saturday, 23 January 2016, Lucknow: Delhi Waveriders continued with their winning run defeating Uttar Pradesh Wizards 3-1 in the sixth match of the 4^th Coal India Hockey India League today. Delhi with their second win in a row now move to the top of the points table with 10 points. The match which was played at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Lucknow saw the home team losing their second match in a row. Uttar Pradesh Wizards have so far won only one game in the three matches they have played so far.

The first two quarters of the match saw the hosts taking control of the game with a lot of circle penetrations into the Delhi Waveriders side, but the visitor’s strong defensive line denied Uttar Pradesh Wizards from scoring. The hosts had an upper hand with a higher ball possession but some beautiful saves from the Delhi Waveriders goalkeeper ensured that both the teams move into the remaining two quarters with the score board reading 0-0.

The third quarter began with Uttar Pradesh Wizards trying hard to score, but the visitors flawless defence ensured the home team’s efforts were not rewarded. Delhi Waveriders started pressing hard also on the counter and were rewarded with a penalty corner in 42^nd minute. Rupinder Pal Singh of the Delhi Waveriders made no mistake thereafter to give the visitors a much desired lead of 1-0 in the game. Delhi continued with their attack thereafter but the hosts denied them from scoring till the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter began with the Delhi Waveriders pressing hard from the first minute to extend their lead. Their efforts could not yield results for a while but an exceptional move from Delhi in the 59^th minute saw the visitors extending their lead to 3-0 in the 59^thminute through Steven Edwards, leaving the home team with a mammoth task to save them from a defeat. Uttar Pradesh Wizards desperate to score pressed harder on the counter and scored through a penalty corner in the very next minute through Argentine Gonzalo Peillat to reduce the gap to 3-1 but could not do much there after losing their second consecutive game today.

The Coal India Goal of the Match award of INR 50,000 was presented by Mr. JL Singh, Director Tech. (P & P) NCL, to Steven Edwards from Delhi Waveriders, while Uttar Pardesh Wizards Jamie Dwyer walked away with the Most Entertaining Player of the Match award. Rupinder Pal Singh from Delhi Waveriders won the Man of the Match award of INR 50,000 while his team mate Mandeep Singh won the INR 25,000 Hero Emerging Player of the Match award.

The next match of the 4^th Coal India Hockey India League will played between the Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Dabang Mumbai at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium, Chandigarh on 24^th January, 2016. The six team annual franchise based hockey league, the flagship event of Hockey India - the apex body governing the sport in the country and sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is being played across six venues in India from 18th January - 21st February 2016. 

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Shiv Naresh