With a demonstration that underlined the good work done by their forward line, Bangalore Hi-Fliers scripted a 2-1 victory over Hyderabad Sultans in the twelfth match of the Premier Hockey League at Hockey Stadium, Sector 42 here today. With this victory, Bangalore Hi-Fliers moved to the top with eight points from four matches in the round-robin stage of the championship.The Hi-Fliers kept the Sultans’ defence under pressure in the first two quarters of the game. Though they failed to get any penalty corner in the match, a goal seemed imminent every time the Hi-Fliers attack overwhelmed the rival defence. But some poor finishing in the first quarter of the game marred the outcome of the moves made by Pramod Kumar and Johnson Ekka. Their efforts were complemented by the duo of Arjun Halappa and Korean You Hyo-sik on the right flank.After a goalless first quarter, there was a touch of elegance in the manner in which the Hi-Fliers’ forward line intercepted every move in the initial minutes of the second quarter. Never did they put a stick wrong and their efforts proved constructive, when You Hyo-sik came up with a stunning backhander after a Halappa striking cross to score the opening goal in the 23rd minute. Sultans goalkeeper Oscar Tar Weme was left stupefied by the shot’s precision. To a certain extent, Hi-Fliers wing half-backs Ajay Kumar Saroha and Vinaya laboured to keep the rival forward line under control as Halappa and skipper Tushar Khandekar stepped up the tempo for the Hi-Fliers. The Sultans’ forward line suffered from a want of passes from inside forwards, and the duo of Sardara Singh and Didar Singh, who were left to fend for themselves, had to rely upon their experience.After half-time, the Sultans attack showed a much-needed vigour, and they soon equalised through Didar Singh after the Hi-Fliers’ defence failed to stop a long cross from Jasbir Singh in the 46th minute. However, Hi-Fliers continued to dominate the proceedings as skipper Tushar Khandekar and Halappa continued to make sallies in the rival penalty area. It soon paid dividends when Khandekar scored the second goal in the 60th minute through a striking shot from the edge of the circle, which saw rival goalkeeper Oscar Tar Weme stranded in the middle. With five minutes to go for the hooter, Sultans went on a desperate attacking spree, but the Hi-Fliers’ defence foiled all the attempts made by Sultans forwards, successfully defending the narrow lead.
