Mumbai’s quest for their first win in the Hockey India League Season 4 continued after Quirjin Caspers’ field strike set up a thrilling 6-4 win for the Kalinga Lancers in a league match here on Sunday.
Field goals from Florian Fuchs (41st min) and Gurjant Singh (47th) kept the hosts in the match after Gujinder Singh (21st) and Adam Dixon (28th) had converted from penalty corners, while Lalit Upadhyay score a field goal (33rd) for the Lancers early on.
Mumbai fought back hard and were in with a chance, but Caspers’ goal just five minutes from the hooter sealed the game for the visitors.
After a close fight in the first quarter, the deadlock was broken in the second when the Lancers earned a penalty corner and captain Moritz Fuerste set up the ball for Gurjinder, who coolly slotted it home to make it 1-0. A couple of minutes later, Kalinga doubled the lead from another penalty corner strike, this time through Adam Dixon.
Kalinga pushed their players men forward and the strategy worked as Mumbai defence succumbed under pressure. Glenn Turner cut inside and hit a rasping cross for Upadhyay, who dived in to put the ball to put Kalinga ahead 4-0.
Mumbai stayed in hunt when Fuchs pulled one back with a field goal (2-4). Mumbai went into the attack mode and Gurjant found the ball in front of the goal for a simple tap in as they equalised 4-4.
Kalinga struck again through Caspers and surged to the second spot on the table.
