Chennai : The defending champion, Bangalore Lions, and Maratha Warriors locked themselves in a fierce contest which meandered into extra-time before a silver goal from Len Aiyappa decided the issue at 2-1. Aiyappa had scored the other goal too. Bangalore Lions will get two points and Maratha Warriors one.

Earlier, Sher-E-Jalandar beat Chandigarh Dynamos 1-0.

From any standpoint, the Lions-Warriors tie was lively, marked by brisk exchanges and moves reflecting a touch of harmony. The dominance of the Bangalore Lions was clear in the early stages. Probably the strongest here, it has the advantage of having two outstanding foreign stars — Rehan Bhat of Pakistan and Sander van der Weide of Holland.

Vinay and Halappa combined well to keep the attack on an even keel. Veteran Sabu Varkey was conspicuous. The fervour was accentuated by the swift runs of Rehan Bhat, who almost smashed the ball in with a reverse shot early in the match. Amar Aiyamma's quick runs caused a lot of flutter.

When Len Aiyappa drag flicked for the Bangalore Lions' lead in the first session it looked a cakewalk.

But Maratha Warriors did not to give in easily. With Mahadik and Shivendra Singh troubling the rival defence, assisted well by Gurjaj Singh and Viren Resquinha, the Warriors gained control. The equaliser was imminent, and surfaced in the second session thanks to Gurbaj Singh's opportunism in a goalmouth scrimmage in which Adnan Maqsood's shot hit the post and spun back.

The pressure on Bangalore Lions was heavy as the Warriors forced five penalty corners to level the tally. A speck of tension surfaced during which Halappa earned a yellow card.

Mediocre fare

The presence of a plethora of internationals, present and past, failed to elevate the quality of the duel between Sher-E-Jalandhar and Chandigarh Dynamos beyond the line of mediocrity. Even assuming that the players on both sides had not sufficiently warmed up in the competition, the inaccuracy and innocuous forays displayed were appalling.

If one had thought that an element of pugnacity would be the expectable ingredient players coming from the land of Punjab, the prosaic trend almost throughout shocked even the few spectators who had turned up to witness the two top rated combination.

For the few who are constantly making a hue and cry of being pushed out of the squad this was an opportunity to prove the selectors wrong. Gagan in the jersey of Sher-E-Jalandhar did precious little in the attack, missing here and mispassing there. Finally, he flunked a penalty stroke too.

Flicker Jugraj Singh, making a valiant effort to stage a comeback after the tragic accident three years ago, showed the road to recovery is still long and arduous. Surprisingly, it was Baljit Singh Dhillon who evoked memories of those halcyon days. A few of his swift movements and the touch passes he produced kept the Punjab frontline bristling with life.

It was in the fitness of things that Dhillon's crafty push from the penalty corner that paved the way for Sher-E-Jalandhar surging ahead from the goal by Jarnail Singh in the third session.

In the closing minutes, Sher-E-Jalandhar widened the margin. A raid involving Gagan and Tejbir ended with Irshad Ali coming in the way. The resultant stroke awarded by umpire Muhammad Muneer was flicked weakly by Gagan for Baljit Singh to make an effortless save. Meanwhile, the physio attached to the Indian hockey team has decided to quit. The 29-year-old Australia-based Ravi Kanakamedala is returning to Hobart, planning a change in career.

Inducted into the National squad on the eve of the 2005 Champions Trophy here, Ravi has been with the team in all the major tournaments, including the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne, the World Cup at Monchengladbach, and the recent Asian Games at Doha.

Ravi is not keen to review his contract, which expires shortly, and has decided to pack his bags at the earliest. He will not be in Chandigarh for the second phase of the Premier Hockey League.

The results: Sher-E-Jalandhar 1 (Jarnail Singh) beat Chandigarh Dynamos 0; MOM: Kalwalpreet Singh: Bangalore Lions 2 (Len Aiyappa 2-extratime) beat Maratha Warriors 1 (Gurbaj Singh).: MOM: Len Aiyappa.

Saturday's matches: Orissa Steelers v Chandigarh Dynamos (5 p.m.); Sher-E-Jalandhar v Maratha Warriors (7-30 p.m.).

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