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Hosts, SNBP Academy, eliminated as SGPC Amritsar hockey team march into semis
SNBP broke the deadlock in the second quarter of the match, but an impressive attacking display in the third and fourth quarters helped SGPC Amritsar bag a 4-3 win over the hosts
A hockey game of two halves saw Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Amritsar shock hosts SNBP Academy and eliminate the home team in the quarter-final stage of the 4th SNBP All India Tournament 2019 at the Balewadi Sports Complex on Saturday.
SNBP broke the deadlock in the second quarter of the match, but an impressive attacking display in the third and fourth quarters helped SGPC Amritsar bag a 4-3 win over the hosts and progress to the semi-finals of the tournament.
SNBP and SGPC were both on the attack in the first quarter. The SNBP defence seemed to be solid and was able to keep the SGPC attack at bay in the first quarter. Numerous opportunities fell to the SGPC attackers, but they were either well defended or scuffed by the attackers. Neither team was able to make the most of the penalty corners which were awarded to them and eventually the game in the first quarter turned from all-out-attack to a very cagey affair.
Both teams ended the first quarter without a goal. In the second quarter, SNBP won an early penalty corner but failed to convert it yet again. The hosts did propel themselves into the lead a few minutes later, through Akshay Yadav who received the ball right in front of the goal and slotted it through the keeper’s legs to give the hosts a crucial lead. SGPC put their foot on the pedal after conceding and instantly launched an attack from the right flank. Amritpal Singh cut inside and struck a powerful shot at goal from outside the penalty area. The strike was on target, but none of the SGPC attackers could get a touch on it in an effort to level the score.
After going one goal down, SGPC were fierce on the attacking side of the pitch and were launching attacks more frequently compared to SNBP. SNBP did have an opportunity from a rare attack in the second quarter when Chandan Yadav stormed down the right side and crossed the ball into the penalty area. The ball came to Hritik Yadav who went sliding in an effort to double the advantage for SNBP, but they failed to make any contact with the ball as it rolled out of play, much to the relief of the SGPC’s defence.
With SNBP still retaining a 1-0 lead, the game touched midway point. In the third quarter, SGPC stepped up their attack. The youngsters from Amritsar hit SNBP with all their might, but SNBP were able to keep SGPC from scoring a crucial equaliser. That situation did not last for a long as, after a few attacks, SGPC crowded the SNBP box as the ball rolled towards Karndeep Singh, who smashed it in the goal to restore parity. SGPC launched another attack following the equaliser and almost took the lead, but SNBP recovered and were able to see off the danger.
Due to the constant press, SGPC won another penalty corner and this time they made no mistake in converting the opportunity presented to them. Four minutes after scoring the leveller, SGPC took the lead through their skipper, Sarabjinder Singh, who received the ball from the penalty corner and smashed it past the SNBP defence. Followed by the goal, SGPC won another penalty corner, but failed to extend their advantage as the third quarter ended with SGPC in the lead.
In the fourth quarter, SGPC did not take their foot off the pedal. SNBP managed to break on the counter and won a penalty corner two minutes into the game. The hosts played a short corner out to Shubham Lahoriya who caught the SGPC defence off-guard and netted SNBP’s equaliser. Just three minutes after the equaliser, SNBP keeper brought Amritpal Singh down, which resulted in a penalty stroke as the keeper was given a 2-minute time penalty. The substitute keeper came on but failed to save Amritpal’s stroke as SGPC retook the lead.
Six minutes after the goal, while SNBP were on the attack, desperately looking for an equaliser, SGPC broke on the counter and Harwinder Singh received the ball in the penalty area and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to wrap things up for his team. In the final minute of the game, SNBP won a penalty corner as the final hooter went off. SNBP converted the penalty corner through Lahoriya yet again, but that was their last strike of the tournament, as SGPC progressed through to the semi-finals and will take on Jai Bharat Hockey Bhiwani, Haryana on Sunday.
Players speak
Prem Singh (Coach - SGPC Amritsar) - “We missed plenty of opportunities. If we would have been clinical in the first half, the score would have been different, but I am happy that we were able to beat the home side. We will work on our finishing before the semi-final.”
Sarabjinder Singh (Captain - SGPC Amritsar) - “We followed our game plan and worked hard. We intend to keep working hard and will focus on the next match now.”
RESULTS
QF1: MP Hockey Academy 4 (Shreyas Dupe 15th; Ali Ahmad 16th; Shailendra Singh 21st; Mohd Zaid Khan 22nd) bt Hockey Coorg 0. HT 3-0
QF2: SAIL Hockey Academy 4 (Mukesh Tete 9th; Kerobin Kalra 13th, 30th; Nitesh 59th) bt Aishbag Sports Centre 2 (Saddam Ahmad 33rd; Sourabh Dande 56th). HT 3-0
QF3: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar 4 (Karndeep Singh 38th; Sarabjinder Singh 42nd; Amritpal Singh 51st; Harwinder Singh 57th) bt SNBP Academy 3 (Akash Yadav 26th; Shubham Lahoriya 47th, 60+). HT 1-0
QF4: Jai Bharat Hockey Bhiwani, Haryana 3 (Sunny 47th; Shubham 48th; Agyapal 58th) bt Naval Tata Hockey Academy 1 (Navin Kerketta 36th). HT 0-0
SUNDAY FIXTURES: SEMI-FINALS
SF1: MP Hockey Academy v SAIL Hockey Academy
SF2: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar v/s Jai Bharat Hockey Bhiwani, Haryana
