Thrilling Triumph: Indian Men’s Hockey Team Scores Second Straight Win Over Ireland in FIH Hockey Pro League, 3-1!

Bhuvaneshwar: The Indian men’s hockey team celebrated another victory in the FIH Hockey Pro League by defeating Ireland 3-1 on February 21. This win marks their second in a row in the tournament.

The game started slowly for India. Ireland took the lead just eight minutes in when Jeremy Duncan scored, taking advantage of a mistake in India’s defense. Although Ireland had a few more chances, including a penalty corner, they couldn’t increase their lead.

Things changed for India in the second quarter. After a shaky start, they kicked off some strong attacks. Sukhjeet had an early chance, but he lost the ball before getting a shot off. Ireland’s defense held firm, drawing praise from Indian coach Craig Fulton, who acknowledged their strong first quarter.

The tide turned when Mandeep Singh scored a fantastic goal in the 22nd minute. He received the ball from Abhishek, darted down the right wing, and fired a powerful shot that found the corner of the net, bringing India back into the game.

In the second quarter, India’s aggressive play started wearing down Ireland’s defense. They gained momentum and finally took the lead in the 45th minute with a penalty corner. Harmanpreet’s dragflick was initially saved, but Jarmanpreet quickly followed up, scoring from the rebound to give India a 2-1 advantage.

The atmosphere at Kalinga Stadium exploded with joy as fans sensed victory. The final quarter was filled with excitement as India continued to press. They were awarded another penalty corner, while Ireland faced a tough situation when Luke Witherow received a yellow card.

With just over a minute left, Sukhjeet sealed the win with a beautiful goal. Instead of taking a direct shot, Harmanpreet cleverly passed to Rajinder, who then set up Sukhjeet for an easy finish. This solid 3-1 victory gave India their third win and nine points in the league so far.