Maninder’s magic guides Bengal Warriors to upset win over Puneri Paltan

A Super 10 from Maninder Singh and a couple of incredible raids from Sukesh and substitute Rohit in the final five minutes of the game helped the Bengal Warriors beat Puneri Paltan 43-36. The defeat meant the Paltan now face a must-win situation in their final game of the season to qualify for the playoffs.

The Paltan were off to a stellar start, as they raced to a 4-1 lead, courtesy of three tackle points and a touch point from Aslam Inamdar. Mohit Goyat went in to raid against a defence of three and managed to tag Ran Singh with a Running Hand Touch. Amit Nirwal and Abozar Mighani tried to Dash the raider out of bounds, but Goyat managed to get his hand across the midline for a five-point Super Raid which saw the Paltan take an eight-point lead.

Inamdar and Goyat continued their excellent work on offence and helped Pune extend their lead to 10. A 3-0 run from the Warriors cut their deficit to seven, but a 5-2 run saw the Paltan reclaim their 10-point lead. Both teams added three points to their total before the end of the first half to go into the break with the Paltan leading by 10.

The Paltan managed to reduce the Warriors to a solitary man early in the second half but a two-point raid from Maninder kept the All Out at bay. A Super Tackle from Nabibakhsh cut the Warriors’ deficit to six, but two touch points in two raids from Inamdar left Bengal with only Maninder on the mat.

The skipper came to his team’s rescue yet again with a two-point raid that revived a defender. Maninder then picked up a Super Raid before Mighani pinned down Nitin Tomar, as Bengal managed to cut their deficit to a solitary point.

Two Super Tackles in quick succession saw the Paltan build a four-point lead. But a touch point from Nabibakhsh reduced Pune to just two on the mat and Maninder took care of both defenders in one raid to inflict an All Out on the Paltan and help the Warriors take the lead.

A 2-1 run from Paltan saw them level the scores, but Super Raids from Rohit and Sukesh Hegde extended the Warriors’ lead to six and left Pune with a solitary man on the mat. Bengal’s defence sat deep and let the raider pick up the bonus before pinning him down to inflict an All Out and help their side take an eight-point lead.

A 2-1 run from the Paltan in the final minute helped them earn a point from the contest, but it was the Warriors who finished their campaign with an incredible win.

Top Performers

Bengal Warriors

Best Raider – Maninder Singh (11 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Abozar Mighani (4 Tackle Points)

Puneri Paltan

Best Raider – Mohit Goyat (13 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Sombir (4 Tackle Points)