HIL | Dockier’s day out as Tigers book semifinal spot

Dockier  exults with teammates after netting the winner.

Dockier  exults with teammates after netting the winner.
| Photo Credit: M. VEDHAN

Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers pulled off a last-gasp 2-1 win over Delhi SG Pipers to become the first team to qualify for the Hockey India League (HIL) semifinal here at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Monday.

Pipers, out of the semifinal race, held on for a major part after Tomas Domene drove through the middle and fired a reverse hit into the roof of the net.

But as has been the theme with Pipers, who had lost five times after taking the lead this season, they were undone again in the final five minutes.

Tigers’ persistence paid off when they won their third short corner in the 55th minute when a variation allowed skipper Rupinder Pal Singh the time and space to place his drag-flick low into the corner.

With less than 120 seconds left, Gurswak Singh surged into the circle and relayed the ball to Sebastien Dockier, who diverted the ball home and sent the Tigers into a frenzy.

In the second game of the evening, a masterclass from Harmanpreet Singh set up a 5-2 comeback win for JSW Soorma Hockey Club over Vedanta Kalinga Lancers to move into third in the standings.

In their final game, Lancers threw everything at Soorma but came up short. They went ahead in the fifth minute through Dilpreet Singh as he reverse hit the ball into the net with as many as nine Soorma players in the circle.

After withstanding multiple forays, Soorma drew level after Harmanpreet, who found himself in space near the halfway line, slid a piercing pass along the ground for Prabhjot Singh to deflect the ball in.

Harmanpreet continued to have his say through the second half when he struck twice from penalty corners either side of setting up Nicolas Keenan for a crunching tomahawk finish for the third goal.

Thierry Brinkman provided a glimmer of hope for Lancers when he pulled one back and set up Gursahibjit Singh for a goal in the 56th minute but they couldn’t add to the tally.

The results: Bengal Tigers 2 (Rupinder 55, Dockier 59) bt Delhi Pipers 1 (Domene 27); Soorma HC 5 (Prabhjot 26, Harmanpreet 32 & 54, Keenan 33, Maninder 51) bt Kalinga Lancers 3 (Dilpreet 5, Brinkman 44, Gursabhijit 56).

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