Press Trust of India
Ipoh (Malaysia), Apr 12: India produced a spirited performance to beat Korea 4-1 in the penalty shoot-out after both the teams were locked at 2-2 at regulation time, to finish a creditable third in the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here Sunday.
India scored both their goals though field strikes from last match’s hat-trick man Nikkin Thimmaiah (10th minute) and Satbir Singh (22nd), while Korea scored from penalty corners converted by You Hyosik (20th) and Nam Hyunwoo (29th).
India’s vice-captain and goalkeeper P R Sreejesh had a fantastic day under the bar as he not only made numerous saves in the entire 60 minutes, but also turned out to be India’s hero in the shoot-out, denying two Korean efforts to help his side register the much-needed victory.
It was India who had the first shy at the goal in the sixth minute but Akashdeep Singh shot wide after a scramble inside the circle. Three minutes later, Korea secured their first penalty corner but Nam Hyunwoo’s effort couldn’t get past the defence of an agile Indian goalkeeper, Sreejesh. The Indians took the lead in the next minute through last match’s hero Nikkin.
Five minutes into the second quarter Korea got their second penalty corner and You Hyosik scored from a rebound with a reverse shot after Jang Jonghyun’s drag flick was well saved by Sreejesh. India restored their lead two minutes later through Satbir’s fine field effort. After stealing the ball at the midline, Satbir played a delightful one two with Dharmvir Singh before tapping in the ball pass Korean keeper Hong Doo Pyo.
But an unnecessary foul by Ramandeep Singh reduced India to 10-man in the last two minutes of the second quarter and that cost them dearly. With India one man short, the Koreans piled on the pressure and managed to earn three penalty corners in succession, the last of which was converted by Hyunwoo with a powerful flick that beat Sreejesh all ends up as both the teams went into halfway break locked a 2-2.
Korea went on the offensive in the fourth and final quarter and earned two more penalty corners but India custodian Sreejesh was up to the task. It was nerve-wrecking final three minutes as Korea went all out in search of the winner, but the Indian defence did enough to hold the rampaging Koreans and take the match into shoot-out. In the shoot-out, the Indians were clinical as Akashdeep Singh, skipper Sardar Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra converted their tries with consummate ease.
