Hockey: AI Rally to Hold PNB, Enter Semis

Mumbai, Oct 20 (PTI) A last-gasp penalty corner goal by Arjun Sharma helped Air India hold Punjab National Bank to a 3-3 draw in a Group A match of the 14th PMC Bank-All India Guru Tegh Bahadur hockey tournament Saturday.

Delhi-based Air India and PNB, along with local outfit Central Railway, finished with the same number of five points each in the group, leading to the application of tie break rule through which AI and Central advanced to the semis by virtue of better goal difference.

PNB, who required a win at all cost to go through to the semi-final, showed the right intent and dominated play.

They did not waste too much time in forging ahead as Sukhjit Singh, from two swift counter-attacks, scored in the fifth and seventh minutes to give his team a 2-0 lead which they carried till the end of the first half.

The younger Air India outfit showed more urgency and managed to cut the lead in the fourth minute after resumption of play when Faraz Mohammad converted from a penalty corner.

Then Abharan Sudev cleverly deflected home a long hit from left for the equaliser in the 44th minute.

But six minutes later, PNB regained the lead when Bhagat Singh, from a firm drag-flick, sounded the boards.

Thereafter, PNB wasted chances galore and that proved to be their undoing as Air India earned a penalty corner in the final minute and Sharma successfully converted it to pilot his team into the last four.

Earlier in a Group B match, Central Secretariat, Delhi, defeated South Central Railway, Secunderabad, 3-1 to record their fourth successive win.

Jayesh Jadhav (23rd min), Ikhidar Ishraat (62nd min) and Pradeep Mor (67th min) scored for Secretariat, while the southern outfit managed just one strike through Sandeep Kumar Singh (43rd min).

In the morning, Indian Navy enjoyed smooth sailing and cruised to a 5-0 win against Western Railway in another Group B encounter between two local outfits.

The sailors rocked the Western citadel when Sunny Malik scored the opening goal (4th min), before Jugraj Singh (20th min) and Prasad Kujur (31st min) scored the second and third goals.

Later, Ambika Singh (60th min) and Mohit Thakur (69th min) scored the other two goal to complete the romp. Both Central Secretariat and Navy qualified for the semi- finals from this group.

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