The Telugu Talons edged out the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh 26-25 in a well-contested close encounter in the inaugural Premier Handball League (PHL) 2023 here on Sunday.
The game, which witnessed a thrilling finish between the high-flying Telugu Talons and the revitalised Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, hung in balance till the dying moments at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here.
Match 21 of the PHL got off on an exciting note as Naseeb Singh gave the Talons a fast start, helping them take a slender lead early on in the encounter.
The Golden Eagles looked to recover quickly as Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde and Sukhveer Singh Brar came to life and levelled the scores. They used their momentum to establish a lead but Rahul T.K. in the Talons’ goal stood resolute as he made superb saves to make sure his team did not fall too behind.
Mohit Kumar of the Talons also played a crucial role in the attack in this game as his goals saw the Talons take the lead. By the 15th mark of the match, the scores read 7-5 in favour of the Talons
Sukhveer Singh Brar of the Golden Eagles continued scoring goals while holding off the challenges the Talons were throwing at him. He was supported well by Mankesh from the wings who was shooting with devastating effect to put Uttar Pradesh in the lead.
Fernando Nunes brought on Kailash Patel and captain Shubham Sheoran to wrestle back control of the game. The Talons did so phenomenally as they had equalised soon after. The first period came to an end with the two teams tied 14-14 and both teams were attacking well and there was very little to separate them.
The Talons started the second half determined to take the lead while the Golden Eagles were hoping for the same. Davinder Singh Bhullar opened the scoring for the Talons in the second half, while Kailash Patel was putting on a masterclass from the wings as the duo helped the Telugu Talons take an early lead in the second half.
However, the Golden Eagles again found a way back into the game thanks to Sahil Rana and Mahesh Ugile who made sure Uttar Pradesh were matching the Talons blow-for-blow. Halfway through the second period, the scores read 19-all as both teams were going into the last quarter of the game.
The game was being played at a blistering pace and was becoming a physical battle between the two sets of players.
Omid Reza and Rahul TK were also constantly making superb saves that added to the excitement of the game. The match was finely poised going into the last 10 minutes.
However, Anil Khudia provided the Talons with a much-needed breakthrough that helped his team establish a slender lead. He was assisted by Davinder who helped the Talons extend their lead further. The Talons’ lead was cut short thanks to some explosive counters by the Golden Eagles which were being led by Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde.
The Talons were able to hold onto their slender lead as the game came to an end soon after with the score reading 26-25 in favour of the Telugu Talons.
Sukhveer Singh Brar of the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh was the top scorer for his team in the tie with nine goals, while Naseeb Singh was the top scorer for the Telugu Talons with six goals. Kailash Patel of the Talons was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the Match award for his vital contributions in attack evenly matched from the wing.
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