Kolkata: Prayag United this afternoon gave McDowells Mohun Bagan a reality check as they won an exciting encounter in Kolkata this afternoon.
Prayag had Lalkamal Bhowmick available at the start who had suffered a slight injury scare yesterday while Mohun Bagan were without the services of captain Jose Barretto for the match. Prayag started off as a stronger team at the start with 3 or 4 goal attempts in the opening few minutes while Mohun Bagan seemed to have the same mindset of defending continuing from their second half performance versus East Bengal on Sunday.
However, while Jayanta and Lalkamal of Prayag were dominating the midfield play it was Mohun Bagan who scored against the run of play in the 22nd minute with Snehasish providing a neat finish of a Gouranga Dutta cross from the right.
Prayag fought hard to get an eqauliser and minutes before half time Joshimar scored for the 'home' team. Shankar put in a cross towards Yakubu who headed it but the ball struck the post and fell for a rebound to Joshimar and the Brazilian made no mistake in putting the ball past Bagan keeper Sangaram.
In the 47th mintue Sunil Chetri took a goalbound shot that deflected off a defender only to land to Odafa who scored past the keeper putting Bagan back in the lead. In the 54th minute Kingshuk handled the ball in the box and Prayag was awarded a penalty which Yakubu converted to make it 2-2. Two minutes later Prayag scored again through Yakubu who this time scored off a corner that would prove to be the ultimate winner.
Mohun Bagan tired desperately but could not find a equaliser while Prayag still remains the only Kolkata unbeaten team so far.
Mumbai FC shock unbeaten Sporting Clube de Goa: Mumbai FC cashed in every chance they got on Wednesday and survived a late charge from Sporting Clube de Goa to score their second win in seven games to send so far unbeaten Goan team back to the drawing board.
Ebi Sukore Thephlius provided the breakthrough in the added time of the first half when he was brought down in the box, but it was man-of-the-match Gbeneme Friday who reveled under the conditions as ‘home’ side left Sporting Clube desperately looking for answers.
Friday scored the second goal five minutes into the second half leaving Sporting stunned by the reverse, from which they struggled to come out.
But Victorino Fernandes, came up with a late reducer off a corner that infused spark in the Goan frontline. There were at least three real chances in those last five minutes when Sporting looked like scoring the equalizer, but Mumbai FC must thank its stars that the match landed in their lap.
The one point that Mumbai FC will have to look for—under pressure despite leading by a goal the defence apparently seemed to crumble—but they were lucky that the Goans came to life with just three minutes from the regulation time.
Initially, both team played in the middle with the Sporting making random forays through Games Moga and Kalu Ogba. Both tried to sneak in on a couple of occasions, but Mumbai FC goalkeeper Sanjiban Ghosh foiled the attempts.
In the 42nd minute Ncholas Rodrigues sent a cross from right to Cavin Lobo at the left of the box. Lobo was merely five yards from the goal-line but he failed to collect the ball. Sporting made counterattack with Moga getting a long pass but Kalu sent a feeble shot that went wide.
Mumbai FC was lucky to get going when Ebi Sukore moved up unchallenged till the box before Adil Khan fouled on him. The free-kick was wasted, but in the added time Mumbai FC got their opening. Sukore was again at the centre of action when S Rojen Singh brought him down in the box forcing the referee to show the spot and Sukore converted the penalty without much ado.
On changing the ends, Mumbai FC kept up the pressure and they were rewarded in the 50th minute when Friday smashed in the goal on a pass from Cavin Lobo.
With 2-0 lead in their pockets, Mumbai FC began to control the match while Sporting was left wondering what really hit them. Their frustration grew more so when time started running out, before Victorino provided the succor. But his effort came little too late for the Goans to think about drawing the match.
East Bengal vs HAL Bangalore: After coming back from a hard fought derby that went against their favor, the Red and Gold brigade put a spirited show and mauled HAL’s hapless defense by scoring a huge 8-1 win.
Making a comeback, Aussie striker Tolgay Ozbey notched up four goals, defender Uga Okpara braced with a brace, with strikers Robin Singh and Baljit Saini filling up the rest.
Few quick attacks and East Bengal struck the right chord. 8 minutes into the game, keeper Amar Deb fumbled from a feeble back pass from skipper Femi Adeola, latching quickly onto the lapse, striker Robin Singh placed the ball straight to the goal.
After another 8 minutes, Hamza earned a penalty for his team after Robert Lalthama tripped him inside the penalty box. Hamza made no mistake that helped HAL to restore parity.
East Bengal raided HAL defense repeatedly which was nothing but nerves. Uga Okpara plainly toyed with this defense and scored two goals in a gap of 10 minutes.
Come second half, and Tolgay was just waiting for his share of action. His trademark running down the flank always troubled HAL full backs. However, this time, defense could barely cope with his pace and in no time he scored his hat trick.
Baljit Saini joined the party with a goal within a minute replacing Sanju Pradhan. The 8th goal came from Robin’s cross - Tolgay, coming from behind a HAL defender, sweetly timed his jump with an accurate header and scored his 4th goal of the match.
Post match, a visibly elated coach Trevor James Morgan said, “Great response from the boys after coming from a loss. We could’ve added few more, but I’m not complaining.” Also, stated that HAL had a nightmarish time in controlling Tolgay’s power and pace.
Dempo SC crush Shillong Lajong 5-0: Dempo Sports Club opened up a six point lead at the top of the table after demolishing Shillong Lajong FC 5-0 in a seventh round I-League clash at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Wednesday
Shillong Lajong FC coach Pradhyuman Reddy had relished the prospect of having an “open contest”. But the visitors were left gasping for breath as Dempo recorded their seventh consecutive victory in the competition.
Dempo led 3-0 at the breather with a brace of goals from Anthony Pereira and one from Nigerian striker Koko Sakibo. In the second session, Ranty Martins and Clifford Miranda added to Lajong’s misery.
Dempo were always the favourites for this clash, but the manner in which the former champions attacked right from the word go would have surprised Lajong. The short-passing game was always going to be Dempo’s main weapon but it turned out that the killer long balls, in the end, made all the difference.
Lajong also lived by the sword as they played an open game and eventually they died by the sword, too, as Dempo exploited the huge gaps.
Dempo surged ahead early when Sameer Naik relayed the ball to Ranty Martins. The Nigerian striker back-heeled the ball to Pereira who did well to cut past a defender and then let go a left-footer that brooked no answer from the rival goalkeeper.
Dempo soon made it 2-0 as Pereira this time turned provider and Koko Sakibo continued with his rich vein of form to give the move the deserving finishing touches.
Pereira kept switching flanks making it difficult for Lajong defenders to police him.
True to form, Pereira killed the match as a contest in the 35th minute when he headed home a measured cross from Sameer Naik.
In the second session, Lajong did try to make a match out of the tie, and came close on at least two occasions but substitutes Iyikobe Christopher and C Lallawmzuala could not come up with the final pass that translates good moves into goals.
Dempo added two more goals in the second session as Ranty and Clifford Miranda added their names to the scoresheet in quick succession.
