Rajeev Kumar
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31: Kalinga Lancers coach Jude Felix stood in the dugout, his face tense, perhaps wondering how to break the spell cast by Uttar Pradesh Wizards, as his players proved no match to the Lucknow-based team here Saturday at the Kalinga Stadium . The hosts in spite of giving their best went down 0-2 to the visitors in a HIL tie.
Lancers started the game aggressively, bolstered by over 5,000 cheering fans gathered in the stadium. But they fizzled out as soon as in the 13th minute when Wizards’ Dutch import Bob de Voogd gathered a pass in the Kalinga’s ‘D’, flicked it up over the keeper, brought it back down on his stick and rolled it into the net to give Wizards the advantage.
From then onwards, repeated attempt by the Lancers at coming back in the game failed every time, with their players guilty of failing to materialise many mouth-watering opportunities.
Much praised Gurjinder Singh and Argentinian Gonzalo Peillat failed to convert penalty corners on more than five occasions, while UP’s custodian and man of the match PR Sreejesh stood like a rock to thwart Kalinga’s every charge.
Coming back after the half time, Lancers once again attempted to find a way past Sreejesh, and while all fans cheered hoping that they would manage a goal at least in the third quarter, it was Wizards, however, who banked upon the cheering. UP’s Ramandeep Singh reverse flicked on an opportunistic pass in the middle of the ‘D’ that beat the Kalinga custodian Andrew Charter.
UP also missed to convert a few penalty corners in the second half but they kept on testing Charter till the last minute of the match, even as the fans started leaving the stadium early.
With the win the Wizards have moved up to the second position in the League with 13 points, courtesy two consecutive victories against the Lancers. The League is led by Punjab Warriors who have accumulated 17 points so far, while the Lancers are now placed fourth, ahead of Dabang Mumbai and Delhi Wave riders.
