A five-goal effort by James Harper helped Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company (ADNHC) score a 9-7 win over Emirates Polo Team and qualify for the final of the Ghantoot Gold Cup Polo championship here.
In a crucial do-or-die match, both teams had one win and one loss and their task was cut out as the winner was to join Ghantoot in tomorrow's final.
Harper, the 5-goal handicap player from UK struck early form and scored a hat-trick in the very first chukka to put ADNHC 3-1 up.
Rodolfo Ducos had equalised after Harper had scored the opening goal but the Briton scored twice in quick succession even before their rivals settled down.
The Emirates side started in an attacking mode but Juan Jose Araya fired wide from close range.
However their UAE player Fahad Al Qubeisi was in great form as he made the score 2-3 and just before the close scored again.
But in between Al Qubeisi's goals Harper and his professional teammate Carlos Albert Solari scored and the chukka ended with ADNHC leading 5-3.
In the third chukka, ADNHC extended their lead by three goals when Tariq Bin Desmal scored to make it 6-3.
The Emirates side however refused to throw in the towel and after Araya had reduced the margin it was back to local lad Al Qubeisi to show more of his skills.
Al Qubeisi, a one-goal handicap player, did very well to complete his hat-trick with a fine run and narrowed the deficit to 5-6.
However a 30-yard penalty was converted neatly by Harper, his aerial shot going between the posts and the Hoteliers ended the chukka on 7-5.
Solari ended the Emirates' team's hopes with his second goal but his rivals were not finished yet.
Rodolfo Ducos ended his solo run with a beautiful goal and off the restart score again to make it 7-8. But Solari drove the last nail with a conversion from close range and ADNHC had made it to the final.
"The good start helped us. We did play well today but we are still to produce our best. We are capable of a better show and probably it may come in the final," said Harper after his five-goal effort.
The teams:
ADNHC: Abdullah Bin Desmal (2),Tariq Bin Desmal(1), James Harper(5)and Carlos Solari(6)
Emirates Polo Team: Fahad Al Qubeisi (1), Youssef Bin Desmal (1), Juan Jose Araya (6) and Rodolfo Ducos (6)
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