Johor Bahru (Malaysia): India juniors lost their first match of the tournament, when they were pipped 3-4 by Australia in a high-scoring fourth round robin league encounter at the VIIth Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament, here Thursday.
Dilpreet Singh (30th, 47th minutes) and Sanjay (ninth) scored for India in the match but goals from Joel Rintala (third), Coby Green (36th), Jonathan Bretherton (45th) and Nathan Ephraums (49th) were enough for Australia to secure their victory.
Australia dominated the proceedings in the initial stages of the first quarter as they attacked the Indian defence to start on a bright note. This resulted in the Australians winning a penalty corner which was converted by Rintala to give his side the lead.
However, after conceding an early goal, the Indian team stepped up their efforts in the latter half of the first quarter and won themselves a penalty corner in the ninth which was duly converted by Sanjay helping India to restore parity.
The game was very well balanced between the two sides throughout the second quarter as defenders of both the teams showed resilience to keep out the opposition efforts.
However, in the last minute before the half time hooter, a faulty pass from the Australian side led to beautiful counter- attack from India with Dilpreet’s fiercely struck shot giving India a 2-1 lead.
In the third quarter though, Australia focussed on getting an equaliser, controlled the proceedings with some quick passes. This helped them earn their second penalty corner and Green scored with a rasping drive to make the score 2-all.
Australia then scored again in the 45th minute to take a 3-2 lead when another unsuccessfully executed penalty corner was followed up by a well-taken shot by Bretherton.
In the last quarter, it was India who made it three-all when Dilpreet calmly levelled scores latching onto a long pass from the Indian 23-yard line.
However, India could only stay level at 3-3 for two minutes as Ephraums converted a penalty corner in the 49th minute to give Australia a 4-3 lead.
Press Trust of India
