Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra
Bhubaneswar, Feb 4: Coming back home after playing three away matches, Kalinga Lancers are seeking a winning return when they take on a struggling Delhi Waveriders at the Kalinga Stadium here, Friday.
Lancers will take confidence from the fact that they have beaten strong sides like Uttar Pradesh Wizards 10-2 and Dabang Mumbai 6-4 though they lost narrowly (2-3) against the mighty Ranchi Rays in their three away games. On the other hand, Waveriders have lost two consecutive matches against Punjab Warriors and UP. Lancers are currently placed second in the points table with 17 points from five matches with three wins and two loses while Waveriders are fourth spot with an equal number of points but having played an extra game. So the pressure will be on the visiting side against the rampaging hosts, who are certainly a force to be reckoned with in home conditions.
Lancers’ coach Mark William Hager is pretty satisfied with the team’s performance so far. “Our show has been good till now. But we have three important games at home. We have to start well in the first match against Delhi. They are playing very good hockey, but they were bit unfortunate to lose their last two games. So we cannot be complacent against them,” Hager stated here Thursday.
Injury to Devinder Walmiki has affected the team to some extent. Karnataka forward MG Poonacha has joined the squad in place of Walmiki but will take some time to settle down. Lancer’s captain Moritz Furste also admitted that Walmiki’s absence will hurt the side. “It’s definitely great loss for us. Hopefully, the youngsters will grab the opportunity to step up and compensate for the loss,” Furste stated.
Waveriders’ coach Cedric d’Souza asserted that the team’s spirit is upbeat despite the back-to-back losses. “We are professionals and we know that we have a job to do. In a tournament you win some and lose some. But we have learnt from our mistakes and we will give our best against the Lancers,” D’Souza stated.
“Lancers are formidable opponents. They are playing very well at the moment. But we are no underdogs and we will give them a tough fight,” he signed off.
