Jalandhar's Shers devour Hi-fliers

HYDERABAD: Three players discarded by the IHF last year got their chance to showcase their class in the PHL - Prabhjot Singh, Baljit Singh Dhillon and Baljit Singh Saini.
They did not throw away the chance while helping Sher-e-Jalandhar ground Bangalore Hi-Fliers in a PHL Premier Division match at the Gachibowli Stadium here on Saturday.
In a forward line that includes players who were the cynosure, Prabhjot shone while Dhillon put their plans in motion. Saini pulled off two superb saves that kept Jalandhar on course to victory. Prabhjot scored a gem off a reverse hit after Arjun Halappa had negated Dhillons 15th minute penalty corner conversion by converting a stroke for Bangalore. That was the match winner as the two teams missed a number of sitters in the second session of this fast-paced high-quality match.
The match got off superb start with some end-to-end attacking hockey but none of the teams could create any clear chances in the first 10 minutes. Bangalore started with Sabu Varkey upfront along with Thushar Khandekar, Amar Aiyamma, Sandeep Michael and Hari Prasad. Skipper Arjun Halappa was in a withdrawn position, mostly as an attacking midfielder, scheming things along with VS Vinay and Pakistani Mudassar Ali Khan.
Jalandhar went ahead in the 15th minute when Dhillon and stopper Balwant Singh played a nice one-two and Dhillon pushed in a rather weak ball home.
That increased the tempo of the game and the Jalandhar team launched some good attacks. However, Bangalore not only weathered the attack but were able to counter-attack and earned a penalty stroke. Halappa equalised.
But Jalandhar continued to attack and create chances. A good move by Prabhjot Singh and Gagan Ajit Singh saw Irshad Ali making a good save. Then Prabhjot got chance but goalkeeper Bharat Kumar Chetri thwarted him on both occasions.
Prabhjot’s second attempt was a superb reverse flick that Chetri palmed away. But Prabhjot was not to be denied the third time and scored the winner in the 29th minute. From the midfield, an ove rl ap p i n g Baljit Singh Saini set him up on the top of the circle on the left side and his b r i l l i a n t reverse hit was unstoppable.
Bangalore re-grouped again and came close to scoring twice but Saini and Kamaldeep saved the day for Jalandhar. Off a move initiated by Sabu Varkey, Halappa pushed the ball into the path of a rushing Tushar Khandekar but Saini acted just like a wall and cleared the goal-bound ball out. The Kamaldeep thwarted a chance by Mudassar Ali off a long corner as Jallandhar went in for the half-time leading 2-1.
Saini came to Jalandhar’s rescue in the second session too when the made another good save. The two teams continued to search for goals, the Bangalore team more desperately. They created chances but failed to capitalise on any.