Haryana Steelers produce defensive masterclass to outwit Bengal warriors
Haryana Steelers produced a defensive masterclass to beat the Bengal Warriors 41-35
New Delhi: The Haryana Steelers produced a defensive masterclass to beat the Bengal Warriors 41-35 at the DOME by NSCI in Mumbai. Mohit Nandal, Jaideep Dahiya and Mohit combined for 12 tackle points, which proved to be the difference between the teams on the day.
The match started in earnest with a SUPER RAID from Maninder in the third minute of the match as the Warriors took a slim lead early on. However, for most of the next 15 minutes, the Steelers kept the Warriors’ key player quiet, denying him a single point of attack. At the same time, their own raiders continued to take away points to score points.
The Warriors’ defense stepped up in the final minutes, taking away their opponents’ numbers, and soon Maninder moved in to clean up and administer the first ALL OUT of the game. The Warriors went into halftime with a 17-13 lead.
It didn’t take long for the Steelers to strike back in the second half, a Vinay strike helping them deliver an ALL OUT of their own and take a two-point lead. The match went from start to finish with neither side willing to retreat or race forward. Going into the final quarter of the match, the sides were level on points.
However, in the final period, the Warriors’ Raiders put pressure on the Steelers to reduce their numbers. It took a series of SUPER TACKLES for them to not only avert the ALL OUT, but maintain a valuable one-point lead. It made a huge difference, and having just come on as a substitute, Siddharth Desai scored a SUPER RAID with his first of the evening to extend that lead.
It made for a brilliant end to the game, with the Steelers fighting hard defensively to maintain their lead despite losing numbers, and the Warriors trying to pull out all the stops to put them in control. That never came, the Steelers defense held firm, initiated SUPER TACKLES and maintained their lead. In the final minute, Shivam Patare’s SUPER RAID gave them a seven-point lead with three men on the mat. They held on to get the win