JOIN USAfter two draws and a loss, Delhi Waveriders tasted victory on Sunday by beating Dabang Mumbai 3-1 in the Hero Hockey India League at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Backed by a boisterous crowd, Waveriders made the most of the opportunities that came their way. Man of the match Lloyd Norris Jones opened the account for Waveriders in the 10th minutem, while Simon Child (19th), who captained the side in absence of suspended Sardar Singh, and Akashdeep Singh (52nd) added to the tally. For Mumbai, Arjun Halappa was the lone scorer in the 36th minute.
The victory has propelled defending champions, who had been languishing in the bottom of the table, to third position with 10 points from four matches while Mumbai has slipped to last position with five points. It was a focussed performance by Waveriders who plugged the holes in their defence and attacked with pace and flair. Mumbai, despite some good saves from their defence, could never really put the pressure on the home side. Their moves lacked imagination and the attacks were often blunted by an alert Waveriders backline.
After a measured start and quite a few midfield scrambles, the hosts asserted themselves. Jones, who later led some exciting counter-attacks for the Waveriders, put the hosts on front when he pounced on the loose ball inside the circle, courtesy a pass from Yuvraj Walmiki, and banged it home. Waveriders for the fourth successive time had grabbed an early lead. They doubled the margin with their second penalty corner, nine minutes later. Rupinder Pal Singh’s dragflick was deflected by Child and Waveriders finished the first two quarters, leading 2-0.
But Waveriders, as had been their wont in this edition, had squandered leads from the winning position. The jinx threatened to return when Halappa scored following a goalmouth melee, a gentle push was all he needed to bridge the gap for Mumbai. The visitors then threatened to level following some excellent attacks but could not convert them. Akashdeep then boosted Waveriders to a position of strength when he finished a finely stitched move and minutes later the hosts were taking the victory lap in front of a cheering crowd.