Azlan Shah: India toil hard to beat lowly Canada 5-3

Ipoh (Malaysia): Already out of the summit clash, a misfiring India had to toil hard to get the better of a lowly Canada 5-3 and register their first win in the ongoing 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here on Thursday.
Rupinder Pal Singh (13th minute) and V R Raghunath (32nd) scored through penalty corners before Ramanadeep Singh (46th, 47th) scored two field goals, while Satbir Singh (49th) rounded off the tally with another field strike.
For Canada, who are ranked 15th in the world as compared to India’s ninth spot, Oliver Scholfield (43rd), Jagdish Gill (49th) and David Jameson (52nd) were the goal getters.
Even though India had the better share of possession and ball control, they were far from impressive.
For the fourth straight match, the Indians were guilty of missing numerous chances and their fragile backline as usual conceded soft goals.
In the presence of two big dragflick exponents in Raghunath and Rupinder, penalty corners are considered India’s strong point, but they cut a sorry figure in this department as well, utilising just two of the eight short corners that came their way on Thursday.
Besides being new chief coach Paul van Ass’ first win after taking charge of the team, the only solace from Thursday’s game was the performance of its forwardline, who finally showed some form by scoring three fine field goals.
It was, however, Canada who had the first shy at the goal when they earned the game’s first penalty corner in the fifth minute but Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh made double save to deny the opponents.
Minutes later India got their first scoring chance but Satbir was denied by the Canadian goalkeeper David Carter. Canada had another penalty corner in the ninth minute and Sreejesh was once again forced to come to the action to keep John Smythe’s flick away.
Soon India mounted continuous raids into the Canada citadel and in the process earned three quick penalty corners, the last of which was converted by Rupinder in the 13th minute.
India secured another short corner in the second quarter but this time Rupinder was slow to get off the block and from the resultant rebound he shot over. But just two minutes after halftime, India doubled their lead when Raghunath neatly converted his side’s fifth short corner. The scoreline should have been much bigger for India had they not wasted the penalty corners that came their way. (PTI)