Visakhapatnam (A.P.), Sep 1 (IANS) A hard-fought comeback from the UP Yoddhas saw them beat the Patna Pirates 34-31 in what was a closely-fought contest to the very end at the Vishwanadh Sports Club here on Monday. Sumit and Ashu Singh got much-deserved High Fives, while Gagan Gowda scored seven points as the Yoddhas secured an impressive victory.

In the opening 10 minutes, Patna Pirates edged ahead of UP Yoddhas, leading 7-6 in what began as a tightly fought clash. Patna’s young raider Ayan Lohchab was the standout performer in this phase, notching up three raid points and twice sending the Yoddhas defenders to the bench.

Ankit made his presence felt with a crucial tackle on Guman Singh, while Maninder Singh chipped in with a successful raid to keep the Pirates narrowly in front. For the Yoddhas, Gagan Gowda looked lively with a couple of sharp raids, while Ashu Singh and Sumit contributed with important defensive tackles.

Midway through the half, Ayan produced the game’s defining moment — a brilliant raid that took out Ashu Singh and Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi, inflicting the first All Out on UP Yoddhas. He continued to dominate thereafter, adding points at regular intervals, including a raid that removed Mahender Singh and Bhavani Rajput in quick succession.

The Yoddhas found some respite late in the half when Ayan was finally trapped in a Super Tackle, but by then, Patna had built a commanding lead. At halftime, the score read 19-13 in favour of the Pirates, with Ayan leading the charge with eight raid points.

Patna Pirates maintained their grip on the contest in the opening exchanges of the second half, extending their lead to 23-19 against UP Yoddhas after 30 minutes of play. Substitute raider Ankit Rana made an instant impact with a successful raid that sent Sumit to the bench, while Maninder Singh also did well in a Do-Or-Die raid against Hitesh.

The Yoddhas, however, refused to back down. Bhavani Rajput and Gagan Gowda added crucial raid points to keep their side in the hunt, and Sumit pulled off a fine tackle on Ayan to halt the Pirates’ momentum. With both sides trading empty raids and defences tightening up, the margin remained slender, setting the stage for a tense final phase.

The Patna Pirates suffered their first ALL OUT in the 7th minute, as the UP Yoddhas equalled the score in style. They piled the pressure on the three-time champions, but Ayan Lohchab escaped Hitesh, giving his team a late lifeline.

However, the Yoddhas kept their cool to the very end. Despite being on the back foot for most of the match, it was in the final 10 minutes that they managed to claw their way back to prevent Ayan from completing his Super 10 and sealing their second victory of the season after beating Patna Pirates 34-31.

–IANS

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