Hockey Union win

Khongman boys lose evenly-contested match

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Hockey League

A midfield tussle during the match between Hockey Union and Khongman at Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium on Thursday. Picture by Eastern Projections Imphal, Jan 24 : Khongman Students Club went down fighting against Hockey Union 4-7 in a match of the 2nd Manipur Hockey League 2008 played at Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium today. In other matches of the day, Manipur Police Sports Club defeated SAI RC by 7-2 goals while South Eastern Youth Organisation overpowered Uchekon Youth Athletic Club by 9-1 goals. However, it will be Posterior Hockey Academy Manipur and Cosmopolitan Youth Club, with 18 points each, playing for the championship on Sunday. The match between Khongman Students Club and Hockey Union was a tight affair with both sides executing numerous attacks but slackness in the end saw the former bow out. Khongman Students Club started on an aggressive note striking as early as in the third minute as L. Purnachandra fetched the opening goal to take control of the game. However, Hockey Union found the equaliser through L. Leejohn in the 16th minute and it was not long before Ch. Rishikanta delivered yet another goal for Hockey Union to lead the first half 2-1. In the second half, the game gained momentum as Khongman infused fire in their runs and it was L. Ranachandra Singh who fetched the equaliser in the 43rd minute. The Hockey Union men, too, increased their pace and did the damage as L. Bikram scored from a penalty corner conversion. Giving a fitting reply, Khongman Students Club got the equaliser from L. Purachandra in the 57th minute and the scoring even got better as L. Heramani Singh gave them the leading goal in the 60th minute of the game. Moments later, Hockey Union made a dramatic comeback as L. Bikram Singh gave his team its fourth goal in the 61st minute from a penalty stroke and ran amok to score two more goals in the 63rd and the 67th minutes. The flurry of goals completely shattered Khongam and the Hockey Union men inflicted further damage as A. Gunanda fetched the seventh goal for a resounding victory today. In other matches, Manipur Police Sports Club defeated SAI RC by 7-2 goals. For the policemen, Th. Birjit scored two goals while N. Gunamani, S. Rabi, P. Priyokumar, P. Adeva and M. Shantikumar got a goal each. M. Bronson and M. David contributed the two goals for SAI RC today. In another match, South Eastern Youth Organisation drubbed Uchekon Youth Athletic Club by 9-1 goals. Ksh. Thoiba delivered three goals, Ksh. Hemlet scored two, while Ksh. Jimkelly, W. Chitra, Y. Sanjoy and Rk. Tomba chipped in with a goal each. The final standing of the teams in the league are as follows: Manipur Police Sports Club (13 points), Hockey Union (10), South Eastern Youth Organisation (9), Khongman Students Club (7) and Uchekon Youth Athletic Club and SAI RC have three points each.