In a thrilling game played at Highfield Farm - Dubai's private polo ground - Adrian Kirby's Cortium team scored a golden goal to win their first Cartier Queen's Cup league match of 2012 and defeat one of the favoured teams in the competition, Rashid Albwardy's Dubai 12-11.

It would have been a hard match to call if you were a betting man as the lead swung between both sides. Dubai led 3-2 after the first, thanks to goals from Rashid Albwardy, Nachi Heguy and Adolfo Cambiaso. Pablo Pieres kept Cortium in the lead with a double in the first, which he repeated in the second, ensuring they were only trailing by 1 at the end of the second, despite goals from Cambiaso and Heguy. Jaime Huidobro added to Cortium's tally in the third scoring two of his team's three goals to only one in reply from the stick of Heguy. This gave Cortium an invaluable 7-6 advantage going into half-time.

So everyone expected Cambiaso to come out in the fourth and dominate the game, but Cortium kept their heads and kept up the pressure. Yes Dubai levelled the score 9-9 at the end of the fifth, and then went one ahead (11-10) in the fifth. However Dubai failed to score at all in the sixth, enabling Kirby to score the equaliser and set up the golden goal scenario. With all to play for, it was Francisco Elizalde of Cortium who found the flags, ensuring his patron a well deserved victory.

Cortium v Dubai in the Cartier Queen's Cup 2012 (Images of Polo)