Hockey India League: Uttar Pradesh Wizards rout Kalinga Lancers 3-1, rise to third spot

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Wizards coasted to comfortable 3-1 win over debutants Kalinga Lancers and jumped to the third position in the second edition of Hero Hockey India League (HHIL) here today.

UP Wizards scored two goals in the first two quarters while their third goal came just seconds from the final hooter.

Skipper V R Raghunath gave UP Wizards the lead in the 17th minute by converting a penalty corner before young striker Nikkin Thimmaiah doubled the home team's lead in the 41st minute with a field strike.

Kalinga Lancers, however, pulled a goal back in the 59th minute through their star drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat who found the back of UP Wizards net from a penalty corner to raise his team's hopes.

The hosts, however, managed to hold on to their lead with some stout defending. They struck in the final minute of the game when legendary Dutchman Teun de Nooijer scored a field goal to seal the match in his side's favour.

The win gave UP Wizards five points which enabled them to jump to the third position in the standings with 21 points from seven games.

The Lancers will next play Jaypee Punjab Warriors at Mohali on Tuesday while the UP Wizards will travel to Bhubaneswar to take on Kalinga Lancers in the return leg match on February 13.