Rourkela, Jan 20 : The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers pulled off a stunning comeback to win a shootout against the Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League. The Kalinga Lancers were trailing 1-4 at the halfway mark but goals from Alexander Hendrickx (13', 52'), Thierry Brinkman (35', 47') and Angad Bir Singh (49') saw them make a remarkable comeback and win the subsequent shootout. The SG Pipers, despite strikes from Tomas Domene (18', 20'), Corey Weyer (21'), Koji Yamasaki (23') and Dilraj Singh (37'), still await their first win of the season.

The SG Pipers, eager to avenge their loss to the Kalinga Lancers a few days ago, made a strong start to win a penalty corner in the fourth minute. Jarmanpreet Singh, who had missed the previous clash, opted for a slapshot but Krishan Pathak was up to the challenge. Jarmanpreet created a fine chance a few moments later, but Sanjay swooped in to clear the danger. The Kalinga Lancers broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Hendrickx's dragflick took a massive deflection off Rohit's boot and sailed into the goal. It was a well-worked variation and Hendrickx had intended to lay it for Aran Zalewski, but a stroke of luck fetched him a goal instead.

Trailing by a goal, the SG Pipers turned the game around in the second quarter. They struck four goals in five minutes to stun the Kalinga Lancers. Domene beat Pathak with a ferocious dragflick in the 18th minute to equalise. Two minutes later, Domene fired another thunderous strike, this time to Pathak's left, to bag his second goal of the evening. Weyer got on the scoresheet a minute later when he beat Pathak from close range and the SG Pipers took a comfortable 3-1 lead. It only got better for them as Yamasaki became the first Japanese player to score in the HIL. He latched onto a deflection from Pathak and slammed it home to give his team a three-goal cushion at 4-1.

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Kalinga Lancers thereon as they looked to find a way back into the game. They pulled one back through Brinkman in the 35th minute when he scored into an unguarded goal after the goalkeeper came off his line. However, the SG Pipers restored their three-goal lead soon after as Dilraj found the back of the net. Domene made a surging run into the box and squared it for Dilraj, who coolly slotted it into the net to make it 5-2.

The Kalinga Lancers began the final quarter in fine fashion as Brinkman struck his eighth goal of the season. Antoine Kina played a stunning no-look pass that cut through the opposition defence and Brinkman turned it in to give his side a lifeline. There was more joy for the Kalinga Lancers as Angad converted Arthur van Doren's pin-point pass from the left to make it 4-5 with 11 minutes to go. The capacity home crowd erupted in celebration in the 52nd minute when Hendrickx scored from a sublime dragflick and the Kalinga Lancers completed a remarkable comeback to make it 5-5. A tense final eight minutes followed and neither team managed to find a goal as a shootout ensued.

The two teams were tied at 2-2 in the shootout when the pressure got to Pawan and he shoved Dilpreet from behind to give away a penalty stroke. Hendrickx made no mistake from the spot as the Kalinga Lancers took a 3-2 lead and their goalkeeper Toby Reynolds-Cotterill pulled off a brilliant save to win them the shootout and the bonus point.

/IANS