Tamil Nadu Dragons used Abharan Sudev (48′) and Thomas Sorsby (60′) goals and an unbeaten defence from captain Amit Rohidas to thump the UP Rudras 2-0 in the Hockey India League match at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Sunday.
The Tamil Nadu Dragons had a chance to get on the score sheet as they were in a sensational 4v1 in the second minute where Uttam Singh got a chance to get his name on the scoresheet but they couldn’t. No stones were left unturned for the UP Rudras in their quest to get the opener, but David Harte was not to be outclassed on the other end.
They took a penalty corner with just seconds left in the opening quarter and the one that they need most right now is Amit Rohidas who surged out of the box and pounced off Sam Ward’s hot shot.
– same in the second 15 as neither keeper was forced into action. Shesha Gowda had the best day putting pressure on the deadly Hardik Singh. Then Tom Craig made an inexplicable lung-burning run with a minute left, only to be pin down by an elegant tackle from Lalit Upadhyay, and the two teams were level heading into the break, and it was ready for swaggering last two quarters.
It started off very well for the UP Rudras, as Lalit got through three defenders to run in the circle to take a penalty corner in the 34th minute. Kane Russell put one through on a guttural dragflick but it was disallowed as the ball had gone round the circle prior to his cross.
The Rudras increased their advantage then when Ward got a second penalty corner on 2 minutes and the Dragons defence dealt with it quietly.
But the Tamil Nadu Dragons then had the opportunity to score again when Uttam made a hot run down the right and made a good high cross to Tom Craig inside the goalmouth but the Australian just didn’t manage to get it in. The Rudras had 14 circle penetrations and three penalty corners in the third quarter but didn’t have that missing goal until it came down to the fourth quarter.
It was scored in the 50th minute, Abharan Sudev put the Tamil Nadu Dragons ahead. Nathan Ephraums blasted one with an ominous swing that James Mazarelo could only bat away into Sudev’s back and the Indian had no second thoughts. The Tamil Nadu team had a go again when Thomas Sorsby cut down the left flank and sent a low cross to the circle but Blake Govers dived off.
The Rudras should have levelled on the power of a penalty corner they claimed in the 52nd minute, but Rohidas ripped off his line again to stop Russel’s dragflick. More drama as UP Rudras clinched two consecutive penalty corners in the last two minutes and Rohidas again denied both strikes to keep his team clean.
All sunshine and rainbows for Tamil Nadu Dragons after Sorsby scored the last point of the game in a one-two finish with 13 seconds left on the clock as the side rolled to their first straight victory of the season and moved up to third place on the table.