Striker Deepika transformed a penalty stroke three minutes from the ultimate hooter to guide India to a tense 3-2 win over South Korea within the girls’s Asian Champions Trophy on Tuesday. India raced to a 2-0 lead within the first half by means of targets from Sangita Kumari (third minute) and Deepika (twentieth, 57th) earlier than Korea mounted a powerful comeback within the third quarter and drew parity with targets from Yuri Lee (thirty fourth) and skipper Eunbi Cheon (thirty eighth). The match headed for an thrilling end with each groups pushing for that deciding purpose and it was Deepika, who scored from the spot to seal India’s second consecutive victory within the event. India had defeated Malaysia 4-0 of their tournament-opener on Monday. The hosts will subsequent play Thailand on Thursday.
Within the first match of the day, minnows Thailand held Japan to a 1-1 draw, whereas reigning Olympic silver medallist China defeated Malaysia 5-0 to register their second consecutive win.
The Indians began from the place they left on Monday and continued to play attacking hockey from the onset.
India’s dominance will be gauged by the truth that the Koreans did not have a single shot on the Indian purpose within the first two quarters.
India, however, attacked the Korean defence relentlessly and created possibilities which resulted in two discipline targets.
It did not take lengthy for the Indians to surge forward as they opened the scoring within the third minute by means of Sangita.
Neha Goyal initiated the transfer and handed it on to Navneet Kaur, who discovered Sangita contained in the circle. The striker superbly obtained the ball, sidestepped her marker after which discovered the again of the web with a wonderful reverse hit.
India stored up the strain on the Korean defence and their efforts bore fruit within the twentieth minute when Deepika slammed one residence from shut vary from Magnificence Dung Dung’s move from the best flank.
A minute later Preeti Dubey’s reverse hit was saved by an outstretched proper leg of Korean goalkeeper Seoyeon Lee.
Within the twenty fourth minute, Sangita got here tantalisingly near scoring her second purpose of the day, however her push from a Deepika move went simply broad of the publish.
If the primary half belonged to India, Korea got here out all weapons blazing after the change of ends and secured back-to-back penalty corners within the thirty fourth minute and Lee pulled one again for her aspect from a rebound.
Motivated by the purpose, the Koreans put strain on the Indian defence and 4 minutes later secured a penalty stroke after an Indian defender unnecessarily introduced a Korean striker contained in the circle. Skipper Cheon stepped up and made no mistake to stage the scores.
Penalty nook conversion continued to hang-out the Indians as they didn’t make use of the eight set items they secured within the match — 4 consecutively within the thirty ninth minute.
Within the final match additionally India earned as many as 11 penalty corners however transformed simply three.
Held to a 2-2 draw, the Indians determined to throw numbers upfront and mounted raids after raids on the Korean citadel and within the course of secured penalty corners in fast succession however they lacked variation from the set items and the efforts have been principally one dimensional.
However the Indians bought an opportunity within the 57th minute within the type of a penalty stroke, which Deepika transformed with ease.
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