Delhi Dazzlers swamp Imphal Rangers

Skipper Raju led from the front and struck three goals to fashion Delhi Dazzlers' fluent 5-1 victory over lowly-rated Imphal Rangers in a Tier II match in the second edition of the Premier Hockey League at Sector 42 hockey stadium in Chandigarh on Saturday.

It was Dazzlers' first victory from two encounters, having been routed by Chennai Veterans in the opener.

After the first two quarters ended barren, Dazzlers swung into action in the remaining quarters to outscore their rivals.

By crowding the defence, Imphal Rangers denied the Delhi side a goal before half-time. The Imphal side had a golden opportunity in the 20th minute, but Dazzlers defender Khuswant Singh made a goal-line save after Imphal captain Brojen Singh's shot had beaten goalkeeper Shakti Singh.

The Delhi side drew first blood in the 39th minute through captain and forward Raju, who scored a field goal. That goal spurred the Dazzlers and they mounted pressure and rained in four more goals.

Two minutes after the first goal, the Delhi side struck again and this time Ravinder was on target. They increased their tally through Sanjeev Kumar, who scored the third goal in the 44th minute.

A desperate Imphal Rangers forced their third penalty-corner in the 54th minute through a counter attack and Brojen Singh atoned himself for his earlier lapse by converting it with perfect coordination.

Raju then held the spotlight, scoring two goals within a span of four minutes. First he converted a penalty-corner in the 62nd minute and four minutes before the long whistle, pumped in a field goal to complete Imphal Rangers' rout.