Bombay out of contention in Nat. hockey

Former champions Bombay went out of contention, when they lost 0-1 to Tata Sports Club, while Maharashtra beat Indian Oil 3-1 in Group D matches in the 60th senior National hockey championship in Bombay on Friday.

Bombay paid dearly for playing without planning and found Tata Sports Club, who impressed with crisp and short passes, difficult to handle.

The all-important goal came in the 16th minute when Tata centre-forward Asad Khan caught rival goalkeeper P U Boppanna on the wrong foot with a crisp shot.

Bombay earned as many as three penalty-corners but could not convert even one, while Tata's got two but failed to convert any.

Maharashtra's forwards functioned like a well-oiled machine from the word go but it was Indian Oil who went into lead eight minutes from start, when their skipper Deepak Thakur came up with a reverse hit from the top off the box.

Five minutes later Maharashtra equalised when centre half Niranjan Ekka converted a penalty-corner and then surged ahead in the 19th minute when their centre forward Naman Bage scored off a short pass from left half Santosh Musale.

Ekka rounded off the tally in the 64th minute with a solo effort off a counter attack.

Tomorrow Indian Oil will play Gujarat while CRPF will take on Tata Sports Club.