UP Wizards face Dabang Mumbai in HIL

Mumbai, Feb 10 (IANS) Dabang Mumbai are set to clash with Uttar Pradesh Wizards on their home ground in the Hockey India League (HIL) here Wednesday.

While Mumbai will play to claim their second win of 2015, post a convincing victory over Kalinga Lancers in their last outing, UP will look at getting back to winning ways, following their recent defeat to Ranchi Rays.

Coached by Valentin Altenburg, Mumbai’s quest for a win came to an end when they beat the Lancers 2-1. With the victory, the team have kept alive their hopes for qualifying for the semi-finals.

They now sit fifth in the six-team league with 12 points and will try to close the gap with Delhi Waveriders, who are fourth with 15.

With Harmanpreet Singh in top form, Mumbai will look at claiming short corners and leave it to the young player to convert them. Also, Glen Turner and his ability to beat the opponent’s defence will play a big role against UP.

“We are pretty confident on our comeback with our recent win against the Lancers. Tom Boon and Harmanpreet are the players the team will be depending on as both of them have been very consistent, showcasing their drag-flicking skills,” said Altenburg.

“Also, we have worked on our defence strategies in order to restrict the opponents. Of course, we hope to continue our winning spree in front of our home crowd.”

Sitting in third place, UP, who have won three and lost three in seven matches so far, will aim to pocket another win and solidify their position in the standings.

Despite going down to Rays 0-1 in the last match, UP are confident of making a comeback. Coached by Roelant Oltmans, the team will look forward to V.R. Raghunath, who has four goals to his credit in this edition of HIL. With P.R. Sreejesh under the bar, it will not be an easy task for the opponents to go past him.

“We are looking forward to a great game. We just need to score one more win to make our place in the semis. Our aim will be to perform the way we did against Jaypee Punjab Warriors. Although, we had a tough game against Rays, we are hopeful of learning from the mistakes committed,” Oltmans said.