HIL : Punjab off to winning start against defending champions Ranchi

ByAmlan Majumdar, SportsCafe Editor

01/19/2016

Punjab Warriors avenged their defeat in the final of the 2015 Hockey India League (HIL) with a 2-0 win over defending champions Ranchi Rays at Mohali. Jacob Whetton's goal in the first quarter proved to be the winner, in a match where Barry Dancer, Punjab's coach, 'out-tactic'ed Ranchi and India Junior coach Harendra Singh.

Punjab Warriors set themselves up in a very counter-attacking 4-3-3 formation, with both wide forwards SV Sunil and Nithin Thimmaiah dropping back to help out defensively.

The tactics worked like a charm, and the home side took the lead in the second minute. The goal arrived from a lightning fast counter-attack. Punjab won the ball deep into their own half, before Sardar Singh surged up the field and picked out Jacob Whetton at the edge of the circle. The Australian forward, one-on-one with Ranchi Rays goalkeeper Tyler Lovell who had made a futile rush forward, calmly took the ball around his compatriot and pushed it into an empty net.

Punjab were using a half-press strategy to trap Ranchi Rays in possession allowing them possession centrally but leaving the wings unmarked. When Ranchi transferred the ball out-wide, to use their width in the 4-4-2 formation, Punjab's fullbacks and wide forwards dropped back to close down the wings.

Ranchi had 62% possession in the first quarter, yet Punjab managed more circle penetration (4-3) than their opponents.

In the second quarter, Ranchi continued to dominate possession, and in the fourth minute, Mohammad Amir Khan won a penalty corner, and the dangerous Ashley Jackson stepped to take it. However, Tristan Clemons, the Punjab goalkeeper, also a PhD scholar on Multifunctional nanoparticles for therapeutic delivery, produced a stunning save to deny him the goal.

The rest of the half turned out to be a cagey affair, with Ranchi looking the better of the two teams. They managed three circle penetrations in this quarter, while Punjab managed none.

Punjab came out with much more positive intent in the third quarter. They dropped their counter-attacking tactics and went for the kill. The home team won three penalty corners in this quarter, but failed to convert from any of them.

The first penalty corner was ruled out due to dangerous play as Whetton's attempt was over the 18-inch board, while the last two were brilliantly saved by Tyler Lovell in the Ranchi goal. The away team failed to sustain any meaningful possession of the ball. Once the ball reached one of their attackers, in Punjab's half, they got isolated as the midfielders did not provide any support.

Punjab managed a staggering eight circle penetrations in this quarter, compared to Ranchi's two, but somehow they failed to extend the lead.

Ranchi pushed for the equalizer in the fourth quarter, but Punjab kept their shape and managed to hold their fort and win the match 2-0.