After enduring a winless run stretching across two seasons, SG Pipers finally tasted victory on Monday night, edging past Hyderabad Toofans 2-1 in Ranchi. A clinical brace from Tomas Domene and a series of crucial saves from goalkeeper Tomas Santiago proved decisive as Pipers held on under intense late pressure.
Pipers began the contest with clear intent, dominating the early exchanges and pinning Toofans deep inside their half. The early pressure yielded multiple penalty corners, and the breakthrough arrived in the eighth minute when Domene converted a dragflick to give his side a deserved lead. The momentum remained with Pipers, who earned six penalty corners within the first 15 minutes, while Hyderabad failed to register a single one during that phase.
Hyderabad Toofans gradually settled into the match and began to enjoy more possession toward the end of the first quarter. They managed five circle entries but struggled to turn that control into clear chances, finishing the opening period with just one shot on target.
The second quarter saw a significant improvement from Toofans. They were sharper in attack, recording 12 circle entries, four penalty corners and seven shots on goal. Despite the sustained pressure, Santiago stood firm between the posts. Against the run of play, it was Pipers who struck again. In the 29th minute, Roman Duvekot provided the assist for Domene, who calmly finished to complete his brace and send SG Pipers into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Hyderabad refused to drop their intensity after the break and continued to push numbers forward. The pressure finally paid off in the 41st minute when Amandeep Lakra converted a dragflick to pull one back and reignite the contest.
With their lead reduced, Pipers were forced into a defensive battle for the remainder of the match. Hyderabad launched wave after wave of attacks and earned a golden opportunity from the penalty stroke. However, Santiago produced a match-defining save to deny Zachary Wallace from the spot. The goalkeeper then capped off a memorable night with a stunning double save in the dying seconds.
The final whistle sparked celebrations for SG Pipers, who finally broke their 13-match winless streak, showing resilience and composure to secure a long-awaited and morale-boosting victory.
