Maharashtra Ironmen held on to secure a 28-27 victory over the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh in a thrilling Match 23 in the inaugural Premier Handball League (PHL) 2023 at the packed Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium here on Monday.
Maharashtra Ironmen have already qualified for the semifinals but had to face a tough fight against the bottom-placed Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh.
The Golden Eagles started the game swiftly as Harjinder Singh and Sukhveer Singh Brar got into their attacking groove quickly. Omid Reza of Uttar Pradesh also made some amazing saves in the initial stages of the match as his team took a slender lead.
The Ironmen made sure that the Golden Eagles’ lead did not last for too long as Chiseliov, Manjeet and Sumit Ghanghas scored in quick succession to bring their team back into the game. Halfway through the first period, the scores read 6-7 in favour of Maharashtra.
From there on the Ironmen were going about the game in typical fashion as their lethal attack saw them take the lead despite the best efforts of Omid Reza in the Golden Eagles goal.
Despite the Ironmen’s dominance, they were unable to establish a healthy lead thanks to Harjinder Singh and Sukhveer Singh Brar, whose goals made sure that Ironmen were not able to establish an unassailable lead. Soon after the first half came to an end as the scores read 13-15 in favour of the Maharashtra Ironmen.
The Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh came out for the second half determined to give Maharashtra a run for their money. Maharashtra although went about the second half much like the first half as Chiseliov, Manjeet, Sumit Kumar, Mohit Punia and Sumit Ghanghas were able to find the back of the net consistently which saw the Ironmen extend their lead and take control of the game. By the 45th-minute mark, the scores read 18-22 in favour of the Ironmen.
Despite the best efforts of the Golden Eagles’ Harjinder Singh, Mankesh and Vansh Thakran they were floundering to find a way back into the game. However, goals from Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde and Mahesh Ugile saw the Golden Eagles mount a late comeback but it was too little too late.
Maharashtra on the other hand were able to score with every attack they constructed which allowed them to hold on to their slender lead until the final whistle. Soon after the game ended 27-28 in favour of the Maharashtra Ironmen.
Igor Chiseliov was the top scorer for the Maharashtra Ironmen in the game with eight goals, while Harjinder Singh was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles with eight goals also. Igor Chiseliov picked up another most valuable Player of the Match award for his all-round attacking performance in the game.
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