CHANDIGARH, OCT 21 :Chandigarh Hockey Academy overcame a stiff resistance from Lucknow Hockey Academy by 2-1 in a hotly-contested semi-final match of the first Administrator’s Challenge Cup Hockey Tournament for Under-17 being organised by the Chandigarh Sports Department at the floodlit Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here on Tuesday night.
The CHA and Lucknow Academy players dished out good hockey. In the first half Lucknow Hockey Academy initiated more goal-bearing moves but could not capitalised on these opportunities. Both goals the CHA scored in the first half came from the stick of Damandeep Singh. CHA drag flicker Gurjinder Singh sent a powerful drag flick into the striking circle. The ball touched the stick of a Lucknow defender and well-positioned Damandeep pounce on the rebound and guided the ball into the goal in the seventh minute.
After conceding the goal, the Lucknow Hockey Academy boys swarmed the CHA goal which somehow survived despite the Lucknow outfit forcing penalty corners in the 10th, 22nd and 25th minutes. The CHA defence also rose to the occasion to thwart the Lucknow raids.
The CHA got their second goal against the run of play in the 31st minute. Launching a counter-attack, the CHA forwards pierced the Lucknow defence and Damandeep again found the target.
The umpires did well to control the game. Chandan Singh of Lucknow and Gagandeep of the CHA were shown yellow cards in the first half.
In the second half, the Lucknow Hockey Academy were able to reduce the margin in the 58th minute when Deepak Yadav scored a field goal.
Punjab and Sind Bank Academy stroked out Surjit Hockey Academy by an aggregate 5-4 margin in an all-Jalandhar semi-final contest. The teams played a one-all draw in the regulation 70-minute period and 15 minutes of extra time could not resolve the deadlock. In the tie-breaker session, Punjab and Sind Bank scored through Paramjit Singh, Varinder Singh, Joga Suingh and Rajnish Kumar. For Surjit Hockey Academy, Upinder Singh, Deepinder Singh and Satinder Singh converted their strokes. Gurjant Singh and Bikramjit Singh wasted their strokes.
Surjit Hockey Academy were responsible for their exit as they could convert only one penalty corner out of nine awarded to them. On the other hand the bankmen succeeded in conveting one penalty corner out of two they earned in the 16th and 22nd minutes.
It was PSB who fired the first salvo by converting their penalty corner in the 22nd minute through Anandeep Singh. PSB led by a slander 1-0 lead in the first half.
Surjit Hockey Academy pressed hard on resumption and their efforts bore fruits as they neutralised the lead with a penalty corner conversion through Bikramjit Singh in the 58th minute.
Three-time Olympian gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior watched both semi-finals.