New Delhi, January 4
Neelam stole the show, scoring eight goals, including a hattrick, as Mother Khazani Convent School, Mungeshpur (Delhi) drowned Government Higher Secondary School, Saitual (Mizoram) in a shower of goals to record a mammoth 11-0 victory in the eighth Nehru-NDMC Girls Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium in the Capital on Friday. Delhi led by 5-0 at half time.
In another match, SJPML Model Senior Secondary School, Dharamjaigarh (Chhatisgarh) scored a narrow 3-2 victory against Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Yamunanagar, after being locked 2-2 at half time.
In a massacre of the innocents, the Delhi girls, marshalled with deadly accuracy by Neelam, gave no respite to the Mizoram eves as they put a virtual siege on their goal to pump in goals at their sweet will.
The goal-glut started in the fourth minute when Neelam found the mark with a fine field goal. She made it 2-0 in the seventh minute when she converted a penalty corner.
Reetu, however, denied Neelam the pleasure of completing her hattrick when she struck the third goal, off a penalty corner, in the 14th minute.
However, Neelam resumed her scoring act when she converted a penalty stroke in the 15th minute to take the score to 4-0 while Sushila struck the fifth goal, also off a penalty stroke, as the Delhi players trooped out for the half time break, with a handsome lead of five goals to boast of.
In the second half, Neelam scored the sixth goal, converting a field goal, while Rakhi got the seventh goal.
Thereafter, it was Neelam all the way as she hit home the next four goals in as many minutes, to get that elusive hattrick as well. All the last four goals were field goals.
In the first match, Chhatisgarh and Yamunanagar played a see-saw battle, in which the latter fought back twice from behind to equalise, though Chhatisgarh managed to earn full points with the match-winner coming at the fag-end.
Munni put Chhatisgarh ahead with a field goal in the seventh minute while Sweta Rani Kerketta got the equaliser for Yamunanagar in the 15th minute. Anuradha regained the lead for Chhatisgarh in the 21st minute while Shanti Tiru pulled off the equaliser for Yamunanagar in the 30th minute.
For a long spell in the second half, there was no sign of a goal, and when all looked set for a deadlock, Usha came up with the match-winner for Chattisgarh in the 54th minute with a brilliant field goal (3-2).
Saturday’s fixtures: M K Convent School, Mungeshpur (Delhi) vs St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Mapusa (Goa) (12 noon); Govt. Bhoj Girls Higher Secondary School, Dhar (MP) vs Maharaja Agrasain School, Sirsa (1.30 p m); SGNP Girls Senior Secondary School, Shahabad, Markanda vs Prof. D B Deodhar
Higher Secondary School, Pune
(3 pm)–Shivaji Stadium.
