Press Trust of India
Ranchi, Feb 14: Already assured of a semifinal berth, defending champions Ranchi Rays registered their fifth straight victory on the home turf Sunday, scraping past Dabang Mumbai 1-0 here in a game of HIL-IV. The win took them to 37 points and helped them maintain position at the top of the table.
The first quarter of the match saw both the teams matching each other in every move before the home team started to dominate. But Mumbai also kept an impeccable defensive line to deny Ranchi players a clear shot at the goal. The same pattern followed in the second quarter and the two teams went into the half time at 0-0.
The breakthrough came five minutes into the third quarter with a penalty corner conversion by the Ranchi Rays captain Ashley Jackson.
Dabang Mumbai launched an all-out attack thereafter in order to score an equaliser but could not penetrate the Ranchi defence. The visitors had their best chance when they got a penalty corner in the 44th minute. But Tyler Lovell in the Ranchi goal made a brilliant save off a variation.
The home team continued to keep the possession and even though Mumbai dominated the play in the final moments of the match, making regular circle penetrations, they failed to convert any of their opportunities. The two penalty corners they got in the corner also were wasted.
