Bhubaneswar, Feb 22: India fought back from a 0-1 deficit to win 3-1 against Ireland in the ongoing men's FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 at the world-class Kalinga Hockey Stadium here Friday.

It was an equaliser from Mandeep Singh (22') that set the tone of the match for India while Jarmanpreet Singh (45') and Sukhjeet Singh (58') helped the hosts take the lead. For Ireland, Jeremy Duncan (8') was the lone goal scorer.

The first quarter, however, was all Ireland as they made multiple circle entries and found themselves ahead of India in only the 8th minute when Jeremy Duncan smashed the ball past Krishan Pathak, making a swift foray from the right flank and no real threat from an Indian defender. It was Nelson's assist, that set up this fantastic opening goal. They made a few more attempts on goal which also included a PC but couldn't extend the lead.

India made amends for a slow and poor start by launching a promising attack early in the second quarter. It began with Sukhjeet attempting a shot on goal after picking up the ball from inside the circle but unfortunately ended up losing possession.

Ireland's defence was tight and well-structured and their attack was a notch above. A start that drew rare appreciation from Indian Chief Coach Craig Fulton who said, 'Credit to Ireland for the first quarter.' He was evidently not happy with how India started but Mandeep changed that in the second quarter when he scored a sensational goal in the 22nd minute. He picked up the ball from Abhishek, drove into the right flank, and took aim with an ambitious, powerful shot. It was bang on target, finding the corner post.

India dramatically turned their fortunes around in the second quarter, launching lethal attacks denting Ireland's defence. While the third quarter saw India break a sweat to take the lead, the occasion finally arrived in the 45th minute when they were awarded a PC. Harmanpreet's drag-flick was blocked away by the Irish keeper but Jarmanpreet who had just made a perfect injection was quick to pick up the rebound and put it past the goalie to take the 2-1 lead.

The two goals by India changed the mood in the Kalinga Stadium with fans coming alive in jubilation. The final 15 minutes continued to be eventful with plenty of scoring opportunities. They even won a PC with a few minutes left on the clock while Ireland, under pressure, lost a man as Luke Witherow got a yellow card.

With just a little over a minute left for the final hooter, Sukhjeet scored the third goal for India and this one was sublime. Instead of taking the drag-flick, Harmanpreet adopted a brilliant variation, passing the ball to Rajinder who took the shot and Sukhjeet only had to give it a finishing touch. The 3-1 win helped India bag their third win in the prestigious league, with nine points from five games.

(IANS)

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