CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Dragons moved to the top of the men’s Hockey India League (HIL) table with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over JSW Soorma Club here on Tuesday. Dominant for much of the match, the Dragons were pushed to the limit in the closing stages as Soorma mounted a late fightback, but the hosts held firm to claim an important win. Selvaraj Kanagaraj (28th), Uttam Singh (30th) and Blake Govers (47th) scored for the Dragons, while Maninder Singh (45th) and captain Harmanpreet Singh (58th) kept Soorma in contention until the final moments. Soorma began the match with patient possession in their own half, but the Dragons pressed high and forced an early save from goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch inside the first minute. Both teams entered the circle regularly but struggled to create clear chances. Dragons captain Amit Rohidas carried the ball forward in the 10th minute but found no support. The Dragons earned the first penalty corner in the 12th minute, which Soorma defended well through Victor Wegnez. Harjeet was later shown the green card as the opening phase ended scoreless, with both sides canceling each other out. The intensity rose as the game progressed in the second quarter. The Dragons won another penalty corner through good work by Sander Kauffman, but Blake Govers’ flick was saved and his rebound attempt failed to trouble Vincent. Karthik then made a strong run down the flank and found Nathan inside the circle, but the shot went wide. The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Selvaraj Kanagaraj finished cleanly after a well-timed pass from Chandan Yadav on the right. The goal gave the Dragons momentum, and they struck again just before half time. Uttam Singh doubled the lead in the 30th minute with a fine reverse hit to make it 2-0, moments after Soorma’s Gurjant Singh was shown a green card. In the third quarter, Soorma responded after the break with greater urgency. Captain Harmanpreet Singh, playing on his birthday, won their first penalty corner in the 36th minute but failed to convert. Akashdeep Singh later went close from a tight angle, while the Dragons remained disciplined in defence. Soorma’s best chance came in the 42nd minute when Vivek Prasad found space in the circle, but Dragons goalkeeper David Harte produced a sharp save. The closing seconds of the period brought drama as Nathan Ephramus’ goal for the Dragons was disallowed for a back-stick. From the resulting free hit, Harmanpreet sent a lofted ball into the circle, and a deflection fell to Maninder Singh, who fired home with just one second left. After a referral, the goal stood, reducing the deficit to 2–1. Soorma carried that momentum into the final quarter and continued to attack. Harte was tested again and stood firm. Against the run of play, the Dragons struck decisively when Tom Craig made a superb run from deep and slipped a precise pass to Blake Govers, who calmly finished in the 47th minute to make it 3–1. Soorma refused to give up and earned a series of late penalty corners. Rohidas blocked Harmanpreet’s effort in the 56th minute, and Harte saved another attempt soon after. Harmanpreet finally converted in the 58th minute with a powerful drag-flick to make it 3-2. The final minutes were tense as Soorma won two more penalty corners, but the Dragons’ defense held strong. Under heavy pressure, the hosts showed composure to close out the match and move to the top of the men’s Hockey India League table with five points.
