FC Kochin defeat Tollygunge

CALCUTTA, MARCH 5: FC Kochin added three points to their tally to theoritically remain in the title race of the National Football League. ...

CALCUTTA, MARCH 5: FC Kochin added three points to their tally to theoritically remain in the title race of the National Football League. Defeating Tollygunge Aggragami 3-1 at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium here today, Kochin, who played their 17th game as against Tollygunge’s 19th, must be aware of the fact that in reality, they will have to settle for the third or even the fourth place even if they put up a very good performance from now on.

Yet, coach TK Chatunni had a big smile at the end of the match. In the early part of the League, they had a spate of draws which pushed them down in the standings. Now that they are winning most of the games, the gap between them and the leaders might be too wide to bridge.

Kochin struck the first goal even before the handful of spectators had settled down. Mahesh Gowali received a pass from Mir Farooq Hyder close to the centre line in the sixth minute, ran into the Tollygunge box and sidestepped a charging Tollygunge goalkeeper Bivash Ghosh. Finding the goal empty, Gowali struck firmly, but stopper-back Nilanjan Guha just managed to come in the way. Wily IM Vijayan was waiting for the rebound and put the ball inside the net with a deft flick.

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The Kochin bench was still celebrating when Abdulateef Seriki equalised just two minutes later. He received the ball from the deep and fired from the top of the Kochin box. Goalkeeper Sunday Seah had started to move to the right and had to watch helplessly as the ball banged into the net to his left.

A little later, Sasthi Duley missed a chance for Tollygunge as his header off a Chandan Das flag-kick sailed over the bar.

Kochin dominated the rest of the first half and had two clear openings. Liberian Isaac Tondo beat Ghosh once again in the 12th minute, but Soumen Sarkar effected a goal-line save. Later, Kochin’s third foreigner Eugine Gray’s attempt off a Noel Wilson create was inches off target.

Tollygunge came up with a few organised moves after the break with Seriki once hitting into the sidenet and a little later, finding goaklkeeper Seah in his way.

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Kochin’s second goal in the 77th minute, came in a rather strange manner. Vijayan’s shot struck a Tollygunge defender and skipper Jo Paul Ancheri pounced on the lose ball like a tiger on his prey. He dispatched the ball towards the goal, not with enough conviction though. However, Isaac Tondo ran in to intercept the shot and slotted home as the Tollygunge defenders stood watching.

Tondo added his second goal of the match and the fourth in the tournament six minutes later. Tapping a long ball from Srikanta Dutta, Tondo was alone in the striking zone. He just lifted the ball over the charging Ghosh and went the other way to celebrate. He did not even turn to watch the ball enter the goal.