Three goals by Prabhjot Singh gave Indian Oil Corporation a 4-0 victory over Central Industrial Security Force in the quarter-final league in the Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Mahindra stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
After opening IOC's acount in the third minute, the dashing India forward scored twice again in the 54th and 68th minute, after Bikramjit Singh had made the score 2-0 from a penalty-corner in the 24th minute, to complete the rout.
In the first match of the day, Karnataka staged a grand recovery, after trailing by a goal at half-time, to hold giant-killers Bhopal XI to a 2-all draw in another quarter-final league match.
Bhopal, who had ousted reigning champions Air India in the second round, drew first blood when centre-forward
Osaf-Ur-Rehman scored off an Asad Kamal pass in the fourth minute.
Though the Karnataka forwards toiled hard, forcing as many as four penalty-corners, Bhopal custodian A Aleem prevented them from scoring in the first-half.
The Bhopal side, which managed just one penalty-corner in the whole match, made it 2-0 following a counter attack when their centre half Amjad Khan scored off skipper Altaf-Ur-Rehman cross from the left flank.
The Karnataka forwards got the much needed break-through in the 53rd minute when their skipper and defender Rama Rao sounded the boards following their fifth penalty-corner.
The equaliser for Karnataka came seven minutes from the final hooter, when their inside-left A K Kaven converted the sixth penalty-corner.