Source: The Sangai Express
Chandigarh, January 15:
Goalkeeper Neeraj Kujur�s acrobatic saves under the bar during the shoot-out helped Lucknow Nawabs pip a fighting Imphal Rangers 5-4 via sudden death in a Tier II match of the Premier Hockey League at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here today.
Imphal Rangers scored a thrilling goal with three seconds to go for the hooter and pushed the match into extra-time after the score was tied at 2-2.Both the first half of the extra-time for silver goal and the second half for the golden goal did not produce any result and the tie-breaker was resorted to for the first time in the league.
Nawabs� substitute goalkeeper, who came in only for the strokes, did an excellent job in the cage and saved four of the six strokes with his acrobatic saves to fashion their win.
Neeraj, the 26 year old employee of UP Police, dived to his right and saved the first stroke from Brojen Singh.
Later, he used his stick to save the third stroke taken by Dawang.
Once again, he padded off a weak push from Tenyson.
Jayanta Singh and Braja Kumar converted for Rangers.
For Nawabs, Cyril Ekka and Kamlesh Parihar were on target but Shekhar Mishra and Prateek Srivastav shot out.
Imphal custodian Herojit saved Amit Kumar�s push, tying the shoot-out scores at 2-2.