Pailan Arrows 0
d/w
Salgaocar SC
KOLKATA: Pailan Arrows managed to pull off a 0-0 draw at home to Salagaocar SC, who have been in a good runoff late in the 18thround I-League encounter played at the Yuba Bharati Krinangan , Kolkata on Thursday.
The draw leaves Salgaocar with 30 points from 18 encounters while Pailan stays at 8 points from 16 outings.
Salgaocar SC started upfront heavily relying on Edeh Chidi and Ryuji Sueoka to create inroads in the Pailan defense, but this was hardly the case.
The match started with a few scruffy passes and Pailan Arrows pressing Salgaocar in their own half and the first chance of the match was only in the 17th mintue when Francis Fernandes and Ryuji Seuoka combined well and Ryuji pulled the ball back for Ishfaq Ahmed but goalkeeper Ravi Kumar did well to save it.
In the 39th minute CS Sabeeth of Pailan did well to find himself in space but attempting to chip it over Salgaocar SC keeper Karanjit Singh he ended up putting the ball out.
The second half started like the first and there wasn't much tempo. A half chance fell to Salgoacar in the 78th minute of play when Edeh Chidi couldnt capitalise.
Pailan Arrows could have won the match in injury time when Ajay Singh was almost thorough on goal but Karanjit Singh came out very alert and managed to keep the scores level.
The Man of the Match was awarded to Ryuji Sueoka.
Churchill Brothers SC 1 (Roberto Silva – 30th)
Beat
Air India 0
Churchill scrape past Air India
PUNE: Churchill Brothers secured full points from their 18thround encounter played against Air India and placed themselves in a perfect position to threaten fellow Goan rivals, Dempo SC, in the race to the top as they have a game in hand in the I-League football championship.
Captain Roberto ‘Beto’ Silva scored on second rebound following a free-kick in the 30th minute and that was enough for Churchill to hang on and win 1-0 at the Balewadi Sports Complex ground on Thursday.
Churchill are now have 33 points, one point behind East Bengal and seven off leaders Dempo, but they have a game in hand that could prove decider towards the end of the league. While Air India stays at 24 points from 18 matches.
Both teams missed the services of their first choice strikers—Henry Antchouet and ND Opara for Churchill and Henry Ezeh and Takayuki Omi for Air India—but still the Goans showed they had good reserves.
Air India, nonetheless, found some cracks in Churchill defence and sneaked in, but the home team’s finishing was not up to the mark. Sandeep Sangha’s sent at least four wayward shots from the top of the box after he was handed a golden chance as early as in the ninth minute.
Churchill’s goal was set up when Balan took freekick that landed behind the wall and on second rebound, Beto pounced on the chance and let the ball stroll into the post.
Air India replied through Lamine Tamba making a move with Manandeep Singh and Sandesh Gadkari taking the ball forward. But then, Sangha fired the ball way over the crossbar in the 36thminute.
On resumption, Air India showed some urgency to find and equalizer. But then without Takayuki and Henry, they really struggled. But Manandeep was a revelation as he created at least three chances in the second half but failed to get support upfront.
Man-of-the-match was awarded to Churchill’s Roberto Silva.