Confident Dabang thump Hockey India League defending champions Punjab Warriors 10-4 at MHAL Stadium to assume top spot in points table
Dabang Mumbai’s Affan Yousuf (second from left) celebrates his goal with teammates against Punjab Warriors during a Hockey India League-5 encounter at the MHAL Stadium in Mumbai yesterday. Dabang won 10-4. Pic/Suresh Karkera
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Dabang Mumbai extended their winning streak with a clinical 10-4 win over defending champions Punjab Warriors in a round robin match of the Hockey India League (HIL), here at the MHAL Stadium in Churchgate yesterday.
Two goals each by skipper Florian Fuchs and Affan Yousuf coupled with another strike by Nikkin Thimmaiah ensured the home side pocket five points and lead the table with 12 points from three games. For the visitors, Australian Matt Gohdes and Arman Qureshi managed to find their names on the score-sheet. It was Punjab who had the first shy at goal but forward SV Sunil’s reverse flick was nicely blocked by Mumbai’s custodian David Harte in the very first minute. Thereafter Mumbai dominated the proceedings. Five minutes into the first quarter, Emmanuel Stockbroekx brilliantly intercepted a Punjab pass right in Mumbai’s danger zone.
The Belgian international then made a dash to the opposition cordon and fired a shot in, but the ball ricocheted off Punjab goalie Tristan Clemons’s glove only to find Mumbai’s Nikkin Thimmaiah, who pushed it back into the net.
Good day for Harte
Punjab managed to draw parity when Australian Matt Gohdes scored in the 13th minute. Goalkeeper Harte, FIH 2015 custodian of the year, had a good day, making crucial saves. One was in the 20th minute when he blocked a Nithin Timmaiah shot that had goal written all over it. At the stroke of half-time, Mumbai skipper Fuchs ensured they had the lead. Hero from the last match against Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Robert Kemperman fed Fuchs with a nice ball in the D.
The 25-year-old wasted no time to reverse flick it for a goal leaving Punjab ’keeper Clemons clueless. Mumbai kept up the pressure and were relentless in attack. In the 43rd minute, Nikkin and Fuchs, with a brilliant one-two, carried the ball right from their half into the opposition territory. But it was Fuchs who had the last shot and made no mistake to extend the lead 6-4 at the end of the third quarter.
Mumbai would have begun the last quarter with a goal had Stockbroekx not missed a clean chance with only the Punjab goalie to beat. But Bhopal-born Yousuf made amends with his two goals in the 50th and 51st minute.
Punjab’s poor strategy
Punjab looked nowhere close to scoring a goal and have to rethink their strategy if they want to retain the title this season. Mumbai have two more home games (vs Delhi Waveriders on January 30 and Kalinga Lancers on January 31) before they hit the road. Head Coach Jay Stacy and Co will hope that their winning streak continues in remaining home games as well.
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