PSB is best in Pool B

By Avinash Nair

BANGALORE, DEC. 2. Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) proved why it was regarded best in Pool B. The Bankmen in an authoritative display dashed host Karnataka's hopes with a 2-1 win to top the Bangalore leg of the 60th senior National hockey championship for the Rangaswamy Cup, with an all-win record.

Karnataka, which finished with seven points from four matches (two wins, one draw and a loss), also made it to Jammu for the main draw, beating Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), on goal average.

PSB began with a flourish, striking home in the very second minute through Rajinder Singh's penalty corner. The second successive award saw Rajinder's drive roll into the far corner with the defence left gaping.

The Karnataka attack lacked fluidity. The frontline starved of passes, more so due to the assured and confident tackling by the bank defence, looked lost. And on the couple of occasions that Prakash Chalke and Arjun Halappa took a shy at the goal Olympian Edward Aloysius under the PSB bar proved up to the task.

But then Chalke had the honour of beating Edward Aloysius for the only goal that he conceded in the entire league. Off a fine Krishna Reddy through, Chalke swerved to his left before essaying a stinging reverse hit that brooked no resistance.

But Chalke's goal came about after PSB had gone 2-0 up in the 38th minute. A Baljit Chandi shot was well blocked by Karnataka custodian A.B. Subbaiah. But the Karnataka Olympian could do little as Tejbir Singh pushed home the rebound.

Karnataka did pick up its game in the second session, more so after Chalke had struck in the 43rd minute. But the proceedings turned rough, largely because of the inadequacy of the umpires. Both R. Kanagaraj (TN) and K.S.P. Gopalakrishna (AP) let the match slip up with a few alarming decisions.

Subbaiah did bring his vast experience into play in the dying minutes bringing off two fine saves. But Karnataka just did not have the wherewithal to dismantle the rival defence.

PSB had nine penalty corner awards against Karnataka's four and this, in short, tells the story of the day's outing.

Table of points (read as played, won, drew, lost, goals for, goals against, points): PSB 4, 4, 0, 0, 28, 1, 12; Karnataka 4, 2, 1, 1, 26, 4,7; CISF 4, 4, 2, 1, 1, 17, 7, 7; Vidharbha 4, 1, 0, 3, 7, 35, 3; Pondicherry 4, 0, 0, 4, 2, 33,0.

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Section  : Sport
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