Pro Kabaddi League: Puneri Paltan eliminate UP Yoddha

Courtesy: PTI

Mumbai: Puneri Paltan held their nerve to dump UP Yoddha out of Pro Kabaddi League Season 5.

Puneri Paltan are through to eliminator 3 with a 40-38 win. Girish Ernak was rock solid at the back and scored seven tackle points while Deepak Niwas Hooda scored 10 raid points to lead their team to victory.

UP Yoddha squandered a solid start and despite Rishank Devadiga's 15 point effort, their campaign came to an end. UP Yoddha were let down by their defence as they could score just eight tackle points whereas Pune defence scored 17 tackle points.

UP Yoddha made a strong start as Nitin Tomar and Rishank Devadiga scored raid points to give their team 5-0 after three minutes.

Akshay Jadhav opened Puneri Paltan's account in the same minute with a raid point. Pune defence forced a super tackle in the fourth minute as they trailed 3-5. UP Yoddha inflicted the first all out of the match in the same minute to 10-3.

Puneri Paltan were struggling to come to grips with UP Yoddha's offence and Rishank Devadiga scored three more points in one minute. UP Yoddha led 13-6 after seven minutes. Puneri Paltan forced another super tackle in the ninth minute as they trailed 9-14.

Puneri Paltan ended the first half strongly as Deepak Niwas Hooda made a two-point raid in the 15th minute.

Pune scored seven points in five minutes compared to Yoddha's one as they made a comeback. Pune inflicted an all out in the 17th minute and took lead for the first time in the match. Nitin Tomar bought UP Yoddha back on level terms in the next minute with a raid.

Puneri Paltan made a strong comeback as they went into the break level at 18-18.

Nitin Tomar and Deepak Hooda made raid points in the first minute of the second half as it was all square at 19-19. Puneri Paltan then took control of the match in the next few minutes as they inflicted an all out in the 24th minute to lead 27-19.

Hooda achieved a super 10 in the 26th minute as Puneri Paltan led 29-20.

UP Yoddha came back strongly as they trailed by just three points in the 35th minute. It was a nail-biting finish as in the last five minutes it was anyone's match. Puneri Paltan led 34 -33 after 36 minutes but UP Yoddha were very much in the game.

Suresh Kumar made a successful raid in the 37th minute to give Puneri Paltan 36-33 lead. With less than 40 seconds to go, Puneri Paltan led 39-38 and then scored a tackle point in the dying seconds to win 40-38.