The host, which managed to eke out a narrow win on Tuesday, was thwarted by an aggressive Delhi side that saw drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh making a victorious competitive debut at his alma mater.
Rupinder, a product of the Chandigarh Hockey Academy housed here, struck twice for Delhi and defended equally well to keep the opposition at bay and help Delhi begin its campaign in the fourth edition of the Hockey India League on a winning note.
While both teams took their chances up front, Delhi was the more enterprising side, taking the lead both in terms of scoring and creating opportunities.
With Talwinder Singh and Mandeep Singh combining well on the left flank and Yuvraj Walmiki fed by Vickram Kanth on the right, the Delhi side pressed hard and was rewarded when Walmiki was put through on top of the circle.
He made no mistake, shooting a backhand into the net past a diving Tristan Clemons to put Waveriders up 2-0 (a field goal is counted as two).
The lead did not last too long though, and 30 seconds later, Matt Gohdes struck the equaliser with a second shot after his first was blocked by Delhi custodian Devon Manchester.
Two penalty corners in the second quarter saw Delhi restore its lead with two more goals before Chris Ciriello pulled one back for Punjab with one of his own drag-flicks.
Captain Simon Child marshalled his troops well, dropping back often to assist the midfield. Punjab pressed hard, and Jake Whetton, S.V. Sunil and Satbir Singh constantly threatened but were unable to break past Delhi’s defence.
With Sardar Singh and Nithin Thimmaiah feeding the forwards, Punjab was unlucky to miss a few sitters in front of the goal. The lack of a poacher also hurt the side.
Despite Ciriello, the team also wasted a few of penalty corners, easily saved by Manchester.
Rupinder, named ‘Man of the Match’, extended the lead to 5-3 in the 36th minute, and though Mark Gleghorne managed to reduce the margin in the fourth quarter, the Delhi defence held firm to deny the host.
The result: Delhi Waveriders 5 (Yuvraj Walmiki-FG, Rupinder Pal Singh-2, Mark Pearson) bt Jaypee Punjab Warriors 4 (Matt Gohdes-FG, Chris Ciriello, Mark Gleghorne).
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