Hyderabad Sultans capitalized on two clear chances that came their way to beat Maratha Warriors 2-1 in the Premier Hockey League at the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday night.
The victory was their second in as many matches while Maratha Warriors suffered their first defeat in two matches.
In the Tier II league, Imphal Rangers trounced Bengal Tigers 6-1 for their first victory in three matches. Bengal Tigers suffered their third straight defeat.
In another match in the second division, Chandigarh Dynamos slammed three goals in four minutes in the second quarter to hand Delhi Dazzlers their first defeat.
The Hyderabad Sultans Maratha Warriors match was a keen affair, with the latter having more possession and shots at goal. The Sultans were well-served by their deep defence, of Dilip Tirkey and Lazarus Barla, who kept hard-running Maratha forwards Kashif Jawad and Dhanraj Pillay at bay with some good tackling.
Thirteen minutes into the first quarter, the Sultans were gifted a goal when Marathas' Pakistan defender Ali Raza fumbled with a clearance and his countryman Wasim Ahmad pounced on the ball to score easily.
The Marathas restored parity in the eighth minute of the second quarter following their second penalty-corner. Ali Raza's shot was saved by a defender on the line. Going for the rebound Mohammad Saqlain's stick was checked and the umpire had no hesitation in awarding a penalty-stroke, which was converted by Saqlain himself.
The goal spurred the Marathas and they launched a frenzy of attacks in the third quarter but were unable to score.
Six minutes into the fourth quarter, the Sultans forced their first penalty-corner after Marathas captain Viren Rasquinha fouled Vikram Pillay as he advanced inside the circle to score. The umpire pointed to the penalty spot and Avtar Singh Sohal made no mistake, finding the net with a high flick.
