Bhubaneswar: Gonzalo Peillat scored a double to guide debutants Kalinga Lancers to a stunning 4-1 victory over title holders Ranchi Rhinos in a league match of the second edition of Hero Hockey India League (HHIL), here today.
They might be out of the semi-final race, but the Lancers gave the defending champions some thinking to do ahead of the business end of the tournament by pumping in three goals in the opening half before finding the net again just at the stroke of the final hooter to register the comfortable win.
It was Lancers penultimate match in this year's HHIL and they played like true champions without any pressure. After a sedate first quarter, the Lancers scored three goals in the second quarter to take a sizable 3-0 lead. The Lancers first scored from a field effort through Aron Zalewski (23rd minute) before Devinder Walmiki (28th) and Peillat scored from penalty corners to go into the breather leading 3-0.
After the change of ends, the Rhinos reduced the margin through Pradhan Somanna's field goal in the 45th minute. But Peillat (70th) scored a field goal just seconds from the final hooter to hand the Lancers a commanding victory over the Ranchi outfit, who had defeated the Orissa side 3-2 in their previous encounter this year.
The win gave Lancers five points and took their points tally to 16 points from nine games. The Rhinos, on the other hand, failed to garner a single point and continue to remain at the fourth spot with 24 points from eight matches.
The Lancers will play Dabur Mumbai Magicians in their final game of HHIL 2014 in Mumbai on Saturday, while the Rhinos will take on Jaypee Punjab Warriors in Mohali later in the day.
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