In another preliminary round fixture, former champions ASC eked out a narrow 1-0 win over South Central Railway and qualified to meet SRC in their next encounter tomorrow at 12.00 noon.

SRC and DLW enjoyed equal exchanges. They also had equal number of scoring opportunities. However, the tie-breaker session clinched the issue in SRC's favour.

Sikh Regiment Centre got both their goals through penalty-corner conversions in the stipulated 70-minute session while DLW scored one field goal and one through penalty corner. SRC were awarded penalty corners in the fourth, 32nd, 44th, 46th, 62nd and 68th minutes and the rivals forced penalty corners in the 24th, 25th, 28th and 37th minutes.

It was DLW which forged ahead in the 26th minute after initial probing. Outside-right Dinesh Yadav gave his side the lead with a field goal. SRC hit back and restored parity three minutes before the lemon break. Sukhminder Singh converted a penalty corner with a brilliant hit.

DLW were on the offensive again. The game was barely into the second minute on resumption when the Varanasi team got their fourth penalty corner and Amit Kumar found the target with a hot shot.

Now it was time for SRC to launch a do-or-die battle and they neutralised the lead with a penalty corner conversion through J Minz in the 46th minute.

In the tie-breaker session, SRC players looked more confident as Baljit, Vinay Kumar and Rajpal who beat DLW goalkeepr Narendra with their strokes. On the other hand only Anwar Khan could get his push past SRC goalkeeper Jaspal Singh. Sachin Khatri, Amarjeet and Amit Kumar were wayward in their penalty pushes.

In the second match, South Central Railway forwards tried hard but their forwards found ASC goalkeeper H K Chawdhary a hard nut to crack. Twice ASC had a narrow escape. In the 53rd minute Abar Alam's sizzling shot was padded but the ball travelled to Shaym Carriapa who misdirected his shot. ASC goalkeeper Chawdhary again rose to the occasion in the 60th minute when S Dung Dung tested him with a full-blooded drive. And, even before Shaym Carriapa could cash in on the rebound an ASC defender cleared the ball in the nick of time.

On the other hand ASC had an opportunity to forge ahead in the 55th minute. A combined move between Ajay Lakra and K T Bellappa saw the last named to hit wide from a well-positioned place inside the striking circle.

However, ASC clinched the all-important goal in the next minute through veteran Gobai Herenj who converted a penalty corner.

Wednesday's fixtures: Punjab and Sind Bank Academy vs Punjab State Electricity Board (10.30 a.m.); ASC vs Sikh Regiment Centre (12.30 p.m.); Customs vs Shivalik Club (1.30 p.m.) and Assam Rifles vs Western Railways (3.00 p.m).