Jaipur, Jun 14 (IANS): Rajasthan Patriots emerged victorious 40-37 in a hotly-contested match against the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh in the Premier Handball League (PHL) here on Tuesday.

The second match of matchday 6 saw Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh make a quick start to the game as they put the Patriots under intense pressure in the opening minutes of the game.

Sukhveer Singh Brar and Vikas were in fine knick as they gave the Golden Eagles an early lead. However, Rajasthan came roaring back into the game thanks to a couple of stunning saves by Atuk Kumar in the Patriots' goal that lifted his team. Mohit Ghanghas and Robin Singh then started showcasing their skill to cut short the deficit. By the 15th minute of the game, the scores read 9-all.

Despite Vikas and Sukhveer Singh playing well, Rajasthan looked more like a cohesive unit. Mohit Ghanghas of the Patriots then took over the goal-scoring responsibilities and was supported superbly by Hardev Singh and Sahil Malik to give Rajasthan a slender lead. Soon after the first half came to a close as the scores read 18-16 in favour of the Patriots.

Uttar Pradesh came out for the second half determined to wrestle back the lead from the Patriots. But Rajasthan found another gear in attack and extended their lead further thanks to the free-scoring Mohit Ghanghas, Sahil Malik, Robin Singh and Hardev Singh.

While Sukhveer Singh Brar and Vikas were able to score consistently, Rajasthan's prolific attack saw them establish a considerable lead in the second half. By the 45th minute of the game, the scores read 30-23 in favour of the Patriots. Omid Reza in the Golden Eagles goal was also struggling to replicate his performance from the previous match as he was not able to make saves consistently.

However, the Golden Eagles were mounting a late comeback thanks to some incredible acrobatic finishing by Sahil Rana and Jyotiram Bhushan Shinde as going into the last two minutes of the game the scores read 38-35 in favour of the Patriots.

A nail-biting finish to the game beckoned. Rajasthan held onto their slender lead till the end of the game as they emerged victorious after the match ended 40-37 in their favour.

Mohit Ghanghas was the top scorer for the Rajasthan Patriots in the game with 15 goals, while Sukhveer Singh Brar was the top scorer for the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh in the match with 12 goals.

Mohit Ghanghas was adjudged to be the best player of the match for his stellar contributions in attack for the Patriots against the Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh.