PHL 2023: Maharashtra Ironmen thrash Golden Eagles UP for first win

Jaipur, June 10 (IANS) Maharashtra Ironmen thrashed the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh 43-28 in the Premier Handball League (PHL) at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium.

The Punit Balan-owned team put on a dominant display in the match as they did not give the Golden Eagles a chance to find a way back into the tie.

Maharashtra Ironmen started the game aggressively as they looked to take the lead in the game from the first whistle. Unfortunately, Ranjeet Singh of the Ironmen got injured in the opening minutes of the game and had to be stretched off.

The early injury, however, was not a deterrent for Maharashtra. Igor Chiseliov, Manjeet Kumar and Jalal Kiani were in fine touch as they combined well and scored at will in the early exchanges of the game. Ironmen's goalkeeper Naveen Deshwal also showcased excellent reflexes as he made numerous fine saves to help the Ironmen establish an unassailable lead, even denying Sukhveer Singh Brar from scoring a penalty in the first half.

At the 15th-minute mark of the game, the scores read 11-6 in favour of Maharashtra as the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh were finding it hard to contain the free-scoring Ironmen. Soon after the first half came to a close with Maharashtra Ironmen leading 17-12 as a lacklustre Golden Eagles side was finding it hard to find their cutting edge in attack.

The Ironmen similarly started the second half to that of the first half. Chiseliov, Kiani and Manjeet made sure their team carried their momentum from the first half into the second half. Ankit Kumar of the Ironmen also slowly grew into the game as he was supporting the likes of Manjeet and Kiani superbly.

The Golden Eagles looked shell-shocked due to the attacking proficiency of the Ironmen and were struggling to find a foothold in the game. The Golden Eagles' standout performers from their last game, Sukhveer Singh Brar and Vikas were also unable to inspire a comeback as the Ironmen kept extending their lead. Halfway through the second half, the scores read 28-18 in favour of the Ironmen, who were easily dominating the Golden Eagles in the game.

Maharashtra's relentless attack saw them extend their lead further as the game ended at 43-28 in favour of the Ironmen who had secured a classy. Igor Chiseliov was the top scorer for the Maharashtra Ironmen with 12 goals, while Sukhveer Singh Brar was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh with 10 goals. Maharashtra's Jalal Kiani was adjudged to be the best player of the match for his excellent performance in an attack that saw him score 10 goals in the game.