Hockey India League: Hyderabad Toofans opens account with shootout win over Delhi Pipers

Hyderabad Toofans secure first point in Hockey India League with shootout victory over Delhi SG Pipers.

Two goals in a space of one minute capitalising on defensive blunders by Delhi SG Pipers and holding nerve in a tense sudden death helped Hyderabad Toofans get its first point after the teams were tied 2-2 at the end of regulation time in the Hockey India League at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela on Tuesday (December 31, 2024).

Between two teams that played contrastingly different styles, the strong defensive and counter-attacking play of Hyderabad appeared to have the upper hand against a Delhi team that seems to be lacking firepower up front but continue to play attacking hockey, relying on its youngsters Dilraj Singh and Aditya Lalage with Shamsher Singh and Rajkumar Pal bringing in the experience.

But with Gonzalo Peillat in its ranks, Hyderabad’s priorities were always clear – get into the circle, earn penalty corners.

It got seven of those but could only convert two – both earned within 60 seconds of each other in the 10th minute and slammed in by Peillant and Amandeep Lakra respectively – to go up 2-0 early on.

To Delhi’s credit, it did not go into panic mode. Although both the PCs conceded were due to defensive lapses, the team took the opportunity at the first time-out to recover and regroup, gradually pushing forward from both flanks to put pressure on the Hyderabad defence.

Peillat, Devinder Walmiki and Zachary Wallace, playing back deeper, managed to hold the Delhi forwards before Corey Weyer’s precise diagonal pass bisected the field to Jake Whetton who put Dilraj through and the youngster lifted into the net in the 20th minute to pull one back.

The game picked up tempo post the break with the teams exchanging control and possession but neither could make their chances count. Bejamin Rennie, replacing Pawan Malik in the goal for Delhi, pulled off a series of saves to deny Hyderabad any extension of its lead before Gareth Furlong finally levelled in the 49th minute. Two PCs in the dying minutes of the game for Hyderabads went waste as well as teams entered the shootout.