Vital win for cheetahs

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Not winning a game at home in the World Series Hockey had been an albatross around Chennai Cheetahs’ neck.

Finally, the Cheetahs shook off the burden with a 4-1 win over Bhopal Badshahs at the MRK Stadium on Tuesday. As the eight-team league has entered the home bend, the result is critical to Chennai’s semi-final push.

Chennai coach Jose Brasa said it was indeed a relief to end the winless streak at home. “The Bhopal win proved my team’s mental strength. We responded brilliantly to conceding an early lead. The self-belief in the team is as strong as ever,” he added.

Brasa wants his team to keep the momentum going. “We are on track to reach the semifinals. But the job is not done yet. We have to keep our feet on the ground and work hard,” the Spaniard said.
The coach used all the Tamil Nadu-based players in his squad — Adam Sinclair, V. Raja, S. Sivamani and Amardeep Ekka — extensively against the Badshahs. “Everyone of them played well. Sinclair has been in excellent scoring form,” Brasa said.

Goalkeeper C. Santosh also had a memorable game. The youngster from Andhra Pradesh made a critical intervention to prevent Bhopal from taking a 2-1 lead.

Santosh dashed out of his line to thwart a Bhopal forward in a one-on-one confrontation. The complexion of the match might have changed had the visitors taken the lead at that time.

Chennai players at last had an opportunity to take a lap of honour in their backyard. Cheetahs captain Brent Livermore described the home win fantastic.

“I was so happy to see our fans celebrate. The win bodes well for our semi-final chances. We are enjoying ourselves on the pitch. If we remain injury-free and maintain consistency, we will certainly progress to the next round,” the Australian said.

Bhopal coach V. Baskaran was gracious in defeat as he said the hosts deserved the win. “Chennai were the better team. We lacked authority in midfield.

Waseem Ahmed, our trump card, couldn’t dictate play from midfield as he was effectively marked,” he said.

Bhopal have lost three matches on the trot after a resplendent start in the WSH. Baskaran was worried about the slump but he said the Badshahs would bounce back.

“We are scheduled to play our last four matches at Bhopal. With the vocal support of our fans, we will advance to the semifinals,” he added.