E-Paper
IAAD hockey tournament: Hosts Haryana slip past Punjab, book finals berth
The win over Punjab saw the Haryana side move into the final of the IAAD hockey tournament, where they will take on Delhi
Led by Triveni Prashad’s impressive field goal in the dying minutes of the game on Sunday gave AG Haryana a 1-0 win over AG Punjab in the first semi-final of the IAAD north zone hockey tournament being organised by the accountant general Haryana at the Sector 42 stadium.
The keenly-contested game saw both teams squander several scoring chances, but the Haryana side managed to hold their nerve at the crucial juncture to move into the final.
Haryana’s Gurdeep found himself with a shot at goal in the 20th minute after a strong passage of play, but a last-minute error saw him lose possession.
At half-time, both teams were still locked at 0-0 off the back of strong work in defence. The match looked destined for a shootout, but a slip-up by AG Punjab defenders in the closing minutes cost them the game.
Delhi ousts UP
In the second semi-final, AG Delhi took out defending champions AG Uttar Pradesh in a 4-2 victory. AG Delhi were dominated from the word go as the side managed to take the lead in the third minute through Mithilesh Kumar’s field goal.
Buoyed by the goal, AG Delhi continued to press. They finally managed to double their lead in the 51st minute with the help of another field goal. The closing minutes saw a flurry of goals, but Delhi managed to maintain their two-goal cushion throughout, sealing the 4-2 win,
The final is scheduled to be played on Monday.
