IOCL edge past Army XI in Murugappa Gold Cup hockey

CHENNAI - Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) recorded their second win in as many Pool B matches with a 1-0 verdict against Army XI in the All-India MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament, here Sunday.

In a close game, IOCL, who had beaten Mumbai XI in their opening fixture, missed a few chances before Didar Singh converted a penalty stroke in the 57th minute after forward Deepak Thakur was brought down inside the striking circle as he was about to execute a shot to goal.

In the last minute, Army XI were upset with umpire Praveen who turned down a claim for a penalty corner. After the game, the umpire was jostled by the agitated Army players before peace was restored.

Earlier, title holders Air India, with Dhanraj Pillay in their ranks, scored twice through Sameer Dad (9th and 11th) for a 2-0 win over local champions Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in Pool A.

IOB, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Karnataka in their first game, struggled to get going and never quite looked the part against a better organized Air India who had lost their previous game to ONGC.

In another game, Bharat Petroleum, playing their first game in the tournament, defeated Karnataka XI 3-1 with goals by Gurpreet Singh (17th), Jarnail Singh (47th) and Hariprasad (55th).

Karnataka, with two losses in Pool A, are virtually out of the competition with just a game in hand against Air India. Their lone goal came in the 64th minute when Naveen Shekar converted a penalty corner.