Dhanraj Pillay again did the star turn for Indian Airlines. He scored a brace of goals in a 4-2 victory over EME, Jalandhar, in a Pool 'B' quarter-final league match in the 41st Bombay Gold Cup hockey tournament at the Mahindra stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.
In the second league match of the day, Western Railway crushed Sikh Regiment Centre 4-1, after leading 2-1 at the breather.
Pillay put the star-studded Airlines team, runners-up last year, ahead in the 14th minute, scoring off a pass from Rajnish Mishra.
But despite dominating, Airlines were unable to increase the lead till the 47th minute, when skipper and defender Lazarus Barla made it 2-0, converting the team's first penalty-corner.
Two goals down, EME fought back and pulled a goal back two minutes later when S Herenj scored following a cross from Gurmail Singh from the left flank.
The goal spurred the Jalandhar side into a frenzied attacking spell and seven minutes later they were on level terms following defender J Kindo's conversion of their fourth penalty-corner.
But Indian Airlines' experience won them the day as they regained the lead in the 64th minute when centre-half and international Mukesh Kumar sounded the board following the team's fifth penalty-corner.
Pillay rounded off the tally with his second goal of the match, scoring from the team's sixth penalty-corner four minutes before the final hooter.
In the other match, Gurusev Singh put Western ahead in the 26th minute when he converted a penalty-stroke. The stroke was awarded after SRC defender and skipper Satnam Singh senior stopped a goal-bound ball with his foot.
Shanta Kumar increased the margin two minutes later with a field goal before A Kujur could narrow the lead, scoring from SRC's second penalty-corner with just four minutes to go for half-time.
Railways' Ingo Singh then made it 3-1 with a field goal in the 61st minute and three minutes later skipper Chandrapal rounded off the tally with yet another field goal.
Tomorrow: Bhopal Eleven vs CISF, Chandigarh; Indian Oil vs Karnataka XI [both Pool 'A' matches].
