Bangladesh make light work of Oman

Forward Pushkor Khisa Mimo was the linchpin of Bangladesh hockey team's impressive 4-1 win against Oman in a World Hockey League match at New Delhi's Dhyanchad Stadium on Thursday. Photo: FIH

Bangladesh followed up their remarkable triumph over China to post another slick victory in the World Hockey League (Round-2) when they handed a 4-1 defeat to Oman in their third match at Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi yesterday.
The second successive win helped Bangladesh secure six points from three matches, equal with Ireland and China. Bangladesh, however, remain in fourth on goal difference. India sit on top of the table with nine points.
Pushkor Khisa Mimo, Sheikh Mohammad Nannu, Rasel Mahmud Jimmy and Moinul Islam Koushik struck one goal each while Anwar Jumman Saad pulled one goal back for Oman after the barren first-half which was an almost equal battle.
It seemed that Bangladesh were playing with a lot of pressure at the start aiming to replicate their performance against China. There were plenty of missed passes, waster penalty corners and even some shaky defending, from which Oman almost capitalized on a few occasions. Forward Jimmy, the architect-in-chief of that famous win over China also looked a shadow of his real self as Bangladesh struggled to shake off the nerves against a team they beat 6-3 in the AHF Cup last year.
After the resumption however, Bangladesh justified their standing with Mimo and Jimmy tearing apart the defense of Oman before Mimo put Bangladesh ahead three minutes into the second half.
Jimmy entered the circle playing a one-two with Kamruzzaman Rana and put a fierce hit for Mimo, who drove forward to connect and send the ball into the Oman net.
Afterwards, an unmarked Jimmy failed to extend the margin twice with just the opponent goalkeeper to beat before Bangladesh goalkeeper Zahid Hossain thwarted a good effort from Oman's Anwar Jumman.
On 51 minutes, Sarwar Hossain ran down the right to go deep before cutting it back for Nannu who, with the goalpost behind him, swivelled on his toes and hit it home (2-0).
Bangladesh kept pressing hard to extend the margin and the pressure paid off immediately. Bangladesh snatched two successive penalty corners and Jimmy converted one of them to make it 3-0 in the 60th minute.
Five minutes later, Oman bit back to reduce the margin as Anwar Jumman converted Oman's third penalty before Koushik came close to scoring in the next minute but his attempt went narrowly wide.
However, Koushik did not mistake to wrap up the victory in the 68th minute from a counter attack. Availing a long through, man-of-the-match Mimo advanced to the circle to set-up Jimmy, whose fierce hit was denied by the head of goalkeeper Fahad Khamis and Koushik pushed the air-borne rebound home.
Bangladesh will take on bottom-side Fiji on Saturday.