JOIN USRupinder Pal Singh scored twice as Delhi Waveriders maintained their unbeaten record in the Hero Hockey India League by beating Ranchi Rhinos 5-4 in a thrilling match here on Wednesday.
Besides Rupinder, Akashdeep Singh, Gurvinder Singh Chandi and Tim Jenniskens scored a goal each for the visitors.
For Rhinos, Ashley Jackson scored twice, while Justin Ross and Mandeep Singh scored a goal each.
With this victory, Waveriders took their total points to 22, eight clear of second-placed Uttar Pradesh Wizards.
Waveriders went ahead in the fifth minute. Gurvinder hit a strong hit from top of the circle, and Akashdeep deflected the ball into the goal.
The lead, however, didn’t last long as Rhinos’ Moritz Fuerste struck a hard hit, towards Ross in the centre of the Delhi circle, which he stopped, swung around and then came up with a reverse hit to the left corner.
In the 45th minute,Rhinos had a penalty corner, and the hit looked like going into the net, before a Waveriders’ defender directed it out with his leg, earning Rhinos a penalty stroke. Jackson scored the first goal off a penalty stroke in the tournament.
A minute later, Rupinder equalised off a penalty corner and four minutes later, Gurvinder put Waveriders ahead. Danish’s hard hit from the quarter-line of Ranchi went to Gurvinder, who showed superb presence of mind in deflecting the ball into the goal.
In the 57th minute, visitors got another penalty corner and Rupinder smacked an absolute bullet, low to the left of Cortes, who had replaced Sushant in the goal in the third quarter, to put Waveriders 4-2 ahead.
But Rhinos pulled one back when Mandeep sounded the board in the 60th minute. Jackson made no mistake off a penalty corner in the 63rd minute. Just a minute later, it was Waveriders’ turn to earn a penalty corner, and score.
Rupinder’s hit was saved by Cortes, but rebound went to Tim Jenniskens, whose hit struck a defender and went into the goal.