Alexander Hendrickx’s solitary goal helps Lancers maintain unbeaten run

Alexander Hendrickx helped Vedanta Kalinga Lancers continue their unbeaten run in the eight-team Hockey India League in Ranchi on Wednesday. (Photo: HIL)

A solitary goal by Belgian Alexander Hendrickx (40th minute) was enough for leaders Vedanta Kalinga Lancers to secure a win over Hyderabad Toofans and continue their unbeaten run in the eight-team Hockey India League in Ranchi on Wednesday.

Lancers, who had finished sixth last season, had needed a shootout to prevail over Hockey India GC in their last encounter on Sunday, but got the job done in regulation time on this occasion. Lancers now have 11 points from four matches.

They went into Wednesday’s match with a clear intent of taking an early lead. While Toofans had more ball possession in the opening quarter, Lancers had the only attempt on goal with Australian Liam Henderson’s shot being saved by German goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg.

Toofans had more of the ball in the second period as well and made 12 circle entries compared to Lancer’s seven. But Henderson once again came close to breaking the deadlock when his shot hit the post. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Lancers had conceded only three goals in the tournament and the team started the second half aiming for another clean sheet.

The Toofans kept attacking in the initial minutes of the third quarter before Lancers’ Angad Bir Singh and Australian Cooper Burns made a brilliant move into the opposition half, but the Indian Angad hit the side goalpost. Minutes later, a lapse in the Toofan’s defence handed Lancers their second penalty corner of the match, and Hendrickx scored his fifth goal of the tournament, which turned out to be the winner.

In the final analysis, Lancers made 23 circle penetrations compared to Toofans’ 30. The winners had five shots at the goal while their opponents had three.

In the second match of the evening, Belgian Tom Boon’s five goals coupled with one by Mandeep Singh helped Ranchi Royals to a 6-2 win over SG Pipers.

Boon, who now leads the goal scorer’s chart with 10 strikes, struck in the 17th minute after Mandeep had opened the scoring in the 13th. While the Pipers equalised through Argentine Tomas Domane (20’) and Welshman Gareth Furlong (39’), Boon would score four more goals (40’, 41’, 50’ and 60’) to secure a dominant win.