Chennai: Twice coming from behind, Hockey Association of Odisha defeated National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), Bhopal, 3-2 to record its second win in Pool B in the 95th All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament here on Sunday night.
Despite Odisha struggling to find their rhythm during first quarter of the match missing six penalty corners, they went on to defeat NCOE.
The Odisha team recovered from 0-1 and 1-2 deficits to emerge winner in the odd goal in five.
Sathish B put NCOE ahead in the 21st minute. Odisha levelled through Satish Kangadi six minutes later.
The Bhopal team again went ahead when MD Faraz converted a penalty corner in the 32nd minute. When it looked like NCOE would walk away with 2 points, Sudeep Minz restored parity in the 55th minute. Prasad Kujur scored in the 58th minute to dash Bhopal’s hopes.
In another match, Indian Army-Red (ARMY) drew 1-1 with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), with both teams demonstrating tenacity and skill throughout the match.
Deepal Kumar scored for Army in the 8th minute from a penalty corner which was neutralised out by BPCL when Vishwas Girish found the net in a quick counterattack. The two teams tried to break the deadlock but their defences held firm.
In the final match, between IOCL-CS, the former outclassed its rival by scoring almost at will, with an impressive 7-0 victory. From the opening whistle, IOC set their intent to dominate the game. Gujinder Singh set the tone for IOC with a goal in the 3rd minute, followed by Sumit Kumar’s brilliant field goal in the 13th minute, doubling their lead.
The relentless pressure continued, and Talwinder Singh showcased his skills by finding the back of the net twice in the 21st and 46th minute. By the end of the first half, IOC had established a commanding 3-0 lead, leaving CS struggling to find their footing.
In the second half, IOC maintained their aggressive play. MD Zaid Khan emerged as a key player, scoring two quick goals in the 36th and 41st minutes, effectively sealing the game for IOC. As the match neared its conclusion, Aarman Qureshi capped off the scoring in the 49th minute with a well-placed field goal, bringing the final score to a staggering 7-0.
Results:
Pool A: Hockey Association of Odisha 3 (Satish Kangadi 27, Sudeep Minz 55, Prasad Kujur 58) beat NCOE Bhopal 2 (Sathish B 21, Faraz MD 32).
Pool B: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd 1 (Vishwas Girish 08) drew with Indian Army-Red 1 (Deepal Kumar 08).
Pool A: Indian Oil Corporation LTD 7 (Gujinder Singh 03, Sumit Kumar 13, Talwinder Singh 21 & 46, MD Zaid Khan 36 & 41, Aarman Qureshi 49) beat Central Secretariat 0.
