Taxmen Survive the Railway Charge – A Super 6 Eliminator Thriller!

Super 6 | Match S12 | 27/08/2025 | 4:00 PM

Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Egmore

🎢 A Rollercoaster Ride in Egmore

If there was ever a match to define the word eliminator, this was it. The Super 6 finale between Income Tax and Southern Railway had everything – lightning starts, goals raining in every quarter, dramatic twists, and a finish that had the Egmore crowd gasping for air.

On a festive Vinayagar Chaturthi evening, the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium was packed to the brim. Families, students, and die-hard hockey fans filled the stands, clapping, chanting, and even tossing cheeky one-liners at the players. The decibel levels reached new highs as both teams fought for survival.

🔥 Quarter by Quarter – The Drama

1st Quarter (2–1, IT leads):

Barely had the whistle blown when Mareeswaran (#69, FG, 1st min) struck gold for Income Tax, setting the turf ablaze. Ten minutes later, Mahendran (#77, PC) doubled the tally to 2–0. Southern Railway, shocked but not silenced, roared back through Dinesh Kumar (#9, PC) in the 13th minute. The fight was on.

2nd Quarter (2–3, SR takes the lead):

Southern Railway flipped the script in breathtaking fashion. Rakesh (#23, PC) equalized in the 26th minute, and within sixty seconds, Sethu Pandian (#19, FG) put SR ahead 3–2. The blue stands went berserk, Railway fans dancing as the tide turned their way.

3rd Quarter (3–3, all square):

The pendulum swung again. Manikandan (#20, FG, 42nd min) restored parity for Income Tax, before Krishnan (#5, PC, 46th min) sent them back in front 4–3. Every minute felt like a plot twist in a thriller.

4th Quarter (5–4, IT seals it):

The crowd could hardly keep up. Southern Railway clawed back yet again when Shanmugam (#17, FG, 51st min)levelled 4–4. Just as the contest seemed destined for heartbreak, the hero of the opening minutes returned – Mareeswaran (#69, PS, 56th min) calmly slotted home a penalty stroke. That decisive strike sealed it 5–4 for the Taxmen, sending their dugout into ecstasy and their fans leaping with joy.

📊 Final Scoreline

• Income Tax: 5 (Mareeswaran 2, Mahendran, Manikandan, Krishnan)

• Southern Railway: 4 (Dinesh Kumar, Rakesh, Sethu Pandian, Shanmugam)

🏅 Man of the Match

Sethu Pandian (SRY) – Medal presented by , Mr Thangaraj, Secretary, Chennai Hockey Fans Association.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The Teams

Income Tax: Nithyashivaprasad, Chingappa, Krishnan, Senthil Nayagam, Vignesh, Mahkeet Singh, Hari, Kalaiarasu, Jeevakumar, Karthikeyan, Manikandan, Meganathan, Raghuram, Arun Prasad, Naveen, Vinoth, Mareeswaran, Mahendran.

Southern Railway: Suresh MG, Goutham L, Iyappan, Ramesh V, Janu J, Mahendra Singh M, Dinesh Kumar C, Suresh Kumar G, N Suresh, Shanmugam P, Manoj S, Sethu Pandian, Praveen B, Harjeet Singh, Rakesh, Somaiah, Naveen Kumar, Dinakaran V.

🧑‍⚖️ Match Officials

• Umpires: A. Albert John, Shajahan

• Judges: Lakshminarayanan (Scoring), Navaneethakrishnan (Timing)

• Technical Officer: Abdus Samad

🌟 The Eliminator Effect

This was more than just hockey; it was a festival of spirit, drama, and nerve. Income Tax’s victory means they stay alive in the hunt, while Southern Railway bow out after a courageous fight.

Egmore witnessed nine goals, swinging fortunes, and a theatre of emotions. From stunned silences to roaring celebrations, it was a reminder of why TPL 3.0 is rewriting the script of regional hockey.

📅 Next Clash – Qualifier 1

With this heart-stopping win, Income Tax march into Qualifier 1, where they will face AGORC on 🗓️ 29th August at ⏰ 4:00 PM.

🌃 Blockbuster Under the Lights – Qualifier 2

The stakes soar higher as the winner of this duel will lock horns with the mighty Indian Bank in Qualifier 2 under floodlights on 🗓️ 30th August at ⏰ 5:30 PM — a clash already billed as a thriller.

🎥 First Time in TPL History

Adding to the grandeur, the Technical Director announced the introduction of Video Referral for the qualifiers and the final — a first-of-its-kind move in a local league, setting a new benchmark for professionalism at TPL 3.0.

🏟️ Egmore Awaits History

Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium will not just host matches; it will host history in the making.