Clube de Goa, Mahindra in semis

Sporting Clube de Goa and defending champions Mahindra United moved into the semi-finals of the Federation Cup football tournament here today.

Sporting Clube de Goa and defending champions Mahindra United moved into the semi-finals of the Federation Cup football tournament here today. While Mahindra beat Mohammedan Sporting 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium, a superb 25-yard direct free-kick by Nicholas Rodrigues in the 102nd minute guided Sporting Clube de Goa to the last four, pipping Salgaocar after the 90 minutes of regulation time ended goalless.

Clube de Goa and Salgaocar began delightfully, with perfect on-and-off-the-ball play. The teams were so solid in defence that neither Goan outfit could find the target.

Amid all that, the floodlights went off. That delayed resumption for 15 minutes. That was also when the rhythm was lost. Power-play ensued. In the 47th minute Jerose Oliviera of Salgaocar was sent off by referee S Kurien for having lashed out at Joseph Pereira. But Club de Goa still struggled as Salgaocar put up a brave fight.

Then, in extra time, came the winner.

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The other fight: Mohammedan Sporting also fought well versus a fancied Mahindra. But the fight ended in the 92nd minute when the Mumbai outfit struck the winner through their Nigerian striker Yusuf Yakubu, courtesy a defensive blunder, allowing Yakubu to head home from inside the box.

In the 89th minute Manjit Singh had given Mahindra the lead off an accurate long-ranger. Mohammedan Sporting had bounced back through a right-footer by Habibur Rahaman off a Jatin Bist pass within the minute.

Mohammedan Sporting coach Subhas Bhowmick was winning the initial fight, as Mahindra failed to make headway. Players were close-marked as per the coach’s instruction with free spaces sealed. Mahindra started stretching in the second session with attacks down the flanks via Stephen Dias. Only for the last 15 minutes, when Mohammedan Sporting players looked tired, did Mahindra get two sitters but Manjit Singh squandered both.