Customs keep Navy at bay

MUMBAI, March 9: Mumbai Customs very nearly paid for indiscipline while making the final of the Bombay Hockey Association (BHA) prize money ...

MUMBAI, March 9: Mumbai Customs very nearly paid for indiscipline while making the final of the Bombay Hockey Association (BHA) prize money tournament with a 3-2 (aggregate) victory over formidable Indian Navy at the Mahindra Stadium today.

Customs were reduced to nine men six minutes into the second half after mid-fielder Tahseen Sheikh was shown a red card and forward Suresh Pereira a yellow. The winners then staved off considerable anxiety as Navy aspired to draw level after S Gorde cut down a first-leg 1-3 deficit in the 33rd minute.Customs will play the winners of the Rasthtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)-Central Railway clash

in Wednesday’s final.

With behavior of players leaving much to be desired, today’s proceedings were not bereft of incident after the triple red-card fracas on Saturday in the first leg.

Story continues below this ad

Five yellow cards and a red marked today’s encounter and it was the turn of Sheikh to draw umpire Satinder Walia’s wrath today for allegedly back-chatting, then abusing, while protestingteam-mate Suresh Pereira’s temporary suspension.

Fast-tiring Customs, down by a goal at that stage, appeared ill-equipped to contain the fitter servicemen’s surges.

To Customs’ credit they coped with the handicap admirably, thanks to goalkeeper Anson Thomas’ sparkling show and hard running by mid-fielders Errol D’Silva, Adolf Colaco and Rory Fernandes along with cynosure, inside-left Stanley Fernandes.

Fernandes, instrumental for Customs’ handy lead in the first leg, blotted his book today by collecting a yellow card but continued where he left on Saturday with keen tackling and movement.

Story continues below this ad

Customs outscored Navy on the corner count (9-6) and even enjoyed the greater possession despite the servicemen’s efforts to draw level.Customs turned back to attack after a defensive posture in the first half surrendered the initiative to Navy.

Navy struck after a loose ball drifted towards Gorde at the top of the circle. The striker wasted no time in slamming past Thomas to the right corner of the goal.

Fiveyellow cards shown during the match included one collected by Gorde for felling Rory Fernandes in the second half. Navy failed to take advantage of numbers after Suresh and Sheikh left the field. They pressed Customs hard but stumbled in the end to Thomas.

The goalkeeper padded away threats by Bara and Bisht before palming away in a trice after the last-named struck firmly from Navy’s seventh and last penalty-corner in the 66th minute.

D’Cruz prevails

Story continues below this ad

Alex D’Cruz (+40) defeated M Shetty (+50) 104-82, 89-80 in the Anthony D’Cruz Open handicap snooker tournament at the Catholic Gymkhana, today.Other results: K Sawant (+60) bt Neville Cardoza (+55) 93-88, 114-80; N Telreza (+40) bt M Thadani (+60) 103-88, 96-102, 106-100; R Sadrangani (+35) bt P Patki (+60) 100-103, 127-100, 116-89; D Ghugurdale (+60) bt C Pinto (+50) 96-66, 83-103, 115-93; l Driwani (+40) bt M Shetty (+50) 104-82, 89-80; S Gadge (+30) bt M Chawla (+60) 115-72, 125-75; K Chadwa (+50) bt K Wagwera (+60) 127-72, 135-99.