Date:26/04/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/04/26/stories/2003042602562000.htm

Sport - Hockey

Solitary goal win for Indian Oil

MUMBAI APRIL 25. Indian Oil defended a fifth minute Prabhjot Singh goal with difficulty to defeat Western Railway in the 41st Bombay Gold Cup hockey championship semifinal on Friday. The two teams will clash again on Monday in the second leg to decide one finalist. Indian Airlines and Karnataka XI will contest the second semifinal.

The match winner came after a trademark run on the left, weaving through a crowd of sticks on the goalline towards the post.

The Western players were not fast enough to steal the ball from him and before any desperate methods could be adopted, Prabhjot had already moved within striking range, his attempt went in off goalkeeper Sairam Bishnoi's stick.

Western, struggling to work up pace after Thursday's exertions against Indian Airlines, went on the offensive as was to be expected from a team hunting for the equaliser. But it found the routes blocked by effective Indian Oil policing.

International Viren Rasquinha played the spoiler to almost perfection. His anticipation and tackling was exceptional, besides inspiring others to raise their levels of play. Goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan justified his reputation with an efficient display, his reflexes tested only twice in the second half.

Rasquinha also displayed enough energy to link up with fellow teammates in the midfield where a lot of space was available for players with positional sense like him to do their bit for the attack, especially with skipper Deepak Thakur and schemer Inderjeet Singh struggling to make headway. Western's best chance for the equaliser came through Ingo Singh, who dived to his left to connect a Chanderpal long pass, but found custodian Chauhan in position at the left post to block the acrobatic attempt.

Western enjoyed the edge in ball possession, strikers Shanta Kumar, Shivender Singh and skipper Chanderpal doing a lot of running inside the rival half to shake off Indian Oil markers. The only occasion when they actually managed to get within striking range after a Shanta-Indo passing bout on the left, dodging defenders with taps and deflections, the final pass by Ingo found Chanderpal in the goalmouth. His hasty try went wide.

Prabhjot kept himself busy at the other end, sending Thakur on the hunt. The IO skipper evaded custodian Bishnoi's charge, but an off-balance Sunil Yadav could not cash in on the final pass.

Saturday's match: Indian Airlines vs Karnataka XI (2nd semifinal first leg).