I-League Diary – Round 16: Dempo And East Bengal Consolidate Their Position At The Top; Churchill, Bagan Humbled Yet Again

The title race got steaming hot this week with Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers suffering huge setbacks in their bid to win the I-League, while Dempo Sports Club and Kingfisher East Bengal consolidated their position at the summit of league standings.

Salgaocar came storming back into the title race after mauling Churchill Brothers 3-0 at Faotorda. There was neither an element of protest from Churchill Alemao nor form the crowd -Ai??even though a dubious penalty was awarded against Churchill -Ai??perhaps indicating that Churchill Brothers were completely outplayed in the match. The match started on a promising note with both teams making strong forays into the box. Salgaocar in particular were unlucky not to take the lead after their strikers were guilty of missing some easy chances. However their persistence paid off in the 33^rd minute when Ishfaq Ahmed, playing on the left, was through after a brilliant ball from Edeh Chdi and he made no mistake burying the ball past Felix Dai??i??Souza. Two minutes later Edeh Chidi doubled the score giving Salgaocar a 2-0 lead going into the break.

Salgaocar could have been ahead by two more goals had two of their shots not hit the woodwork. Churchillai??i??s substitution of Steven Dias in the first half itself spoke of the panic in their ranks. Ryuji Sueoka added a late second half goal after earning a spot kick to complete the rout. Churchillai??i??s inconsistent from showed as they slumped to their third loss in five games. Salgaocar have come storming back into the title race and a win over Dempo in their next game will see them only five points behind the leaders. They have won their last five games on the trot.

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Dempo Sports Club secured a crucial 2-1 away win over Lajong at the newly laid artificial turf at the J.N. Stadium. After a goalless first half, Seikhohao Tuboi gave the home team the lead in the 82^nd minute through a header of a Renedy Singh corner to send the home crowd into raptures. However Ranti Martins equalized three minutes later with a long range shot. Two minutes before the end, the referee awarded a penalty to Dmepo after Shillong defender Passah, handled the ball. Play was held up after there were incidents of stone pelting from the crowd. Ranti however coolly slotted the penalty home, after missing a penalty in the previous game, to score the match winner for Dempo that keeps them perched on top.

East Bengal stayed close behind Dempo after notching up a 2-0 win over bottotm placed HAL. After mauling HAL 8-1 in their previous encounter away, everyone expected the Red and Golds to walk away with the tie. However the home team had to wait till the 65^th minute o get their noses in front after Sanjuai??i??s brilliant ball found the head of Saumik Dey. Penn Orji continued his superb form this season, notching up East Bengalai??i??s second to give Trevor Morgan’s side all three points.

Mohun Bagan suffered their second straight defeat, going down 2-1 to cross-city rivalsAi??Prayag United in the mini Kolkata derby. Prayag United took the lead in the 15^th minute after Kayne Vioncent scored of a free header that gave Sangram Mukherjee no chance. Two minutes later the Mariners equalized after a rare goal from defender Anwar Ali, who was fed by Bello Rasaq, found the net. It stayed 1-1 at half time and both teams had everything to play for in the second half. However Prayag came out after the break with more intensity and were rewarded in the 64^th minute when veteran defender Deepak Mondal unleashed a powerful shot that found a way past Sangram Mukherjee in goal. Bagan slipped to sixth place with this loss -Ai??which was their third defeat inAi??last five games.

Pune FC came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Air India in a brilliant final twenty minutes display. Air India went ahead through a Henry Ezeh strike in the 14^th minute. They doubled teir lead in the 61^st minute through Japanese Takayushi Omi to leave Derrick Pereiraai??i??s side with a daunting task in the last twenty minutes or so. But veteran Venkatesh pulled one back for the Red lizards in the 76^th minute and defender Chika Wali secured a precious point for Derrick Pereira after heading in a Lester Fernandes cross. Pune FC are now unbeaten in last ten matches.

In the final game of the round, Sporting Clube de Goa produced a second half blitz to knock out Khalid Jamilai??i??s men and move Mumbai FC closer to the relegation zone. Anthony Dai??i??Souza opened the scoring in the 48^th minute before James Moga scored with his head yet again making it 2-0 in the 57^th minute. Ai??Young Mackroy Peixote then scored a fabulous brace to make it 4-0 before Ogba Kalu scored from the spot in injury time to complete the rout. The game between Chirag Kerala and Pailan Arrows was postponed to a later date.

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Star of the Week:

Edeh Chidi (Salgaocar)
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The Nigerian produced a superb display against arch-rivals Churchill Brothers, scoring a brilliant goalAi??and assisting Ishfaq Ahmed for the opener to win this week’s Star of the Week award.

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Goal of the Week:

Deepak Mondal (Prayag United SC)
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Veteran defender Deepak Mondal’sAi??world-class strikeAi??was a slap on the face of Mohun Bagan officials , who was deemed a surplus to the requirementAi??in Mohun Bagan squad at the end of last season. With the game tied at 1-1 by the hour mark, the AIFF Player of the Year – 2002 produced a scintillating right-footer from approximately 30 yards out which left Sangram Mukherjee shell-shocked and crashed on to the back of Mohun Bagan net.

“Old is Gold”, indeed! Those, who reckon this proverb to be a clichAi?? – ask Anjan Mitra!

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Miss of the Week:

Ryuji Sueoka (Salgaocar)
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This roundai??i??s Miss of the Week awardAi??goes to Salgaocar’s Japanese midfielderAi??Ryuji Sueoka; whoAi??failed to completeAi??a simple tap-in in front of an open ChurchillAi??Brothers netAi??after Ishfaq Ahmedai??i??sAi??attempt came off the crossbar.

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Save of the Week:

Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar)
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Around the half-an-hour mark, Churchill Brothers striker N.D. Opara was set clear on goal by a defense splitting ball from the middle. The Nigerian hitman unleashed an angular shot from inside the area which seemed to be going in till the very last moment, until Karanjit Singh came up with a superb reflex save with his outstretched leg to divert the ball away from goal.

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Match of the Week:

Pune FCAi??2-2 Air India
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The Red lizards saved their nine match unbeaten streak by coming form the dead to draw 2-2 and stretch their unbeaten run to ten games, the longest spell of unbeaten by any I-League club this season. Air India had taken 2-0 lead by the hour mark toAi??leave Derrick Pereira’s side with a daunting task to claw their way back in to the game; but true to their nick-name of “Comeback Kings”, Pune FC made a dramatic turn around in last 20 minutes to snatch a point from this Maharashtra Derby.

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TheHardTackle’s Team of the Week:
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Ai??

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