Silveira, Churchill unstoppable; BSF bow to Tollygunge

MARGO, DECEMBER 24: Goa champions Churchill Brothers kept their slate clean when they edged past Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) 2-1 for...

MARGO, DECEMBER 24: Goa champions Churchill Brothers kept their slate clean when they edged past Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) 2-1 for their fourth straight win in the 4th National Football League.

Churchill, who dominated the barren first half, scored through medio Rocky Baretto (55th) and Francis Silveira (72nd). ITI, who played defensive in the first half with the entire team defending the citadel with the exception of lone forward Lulu, reduced the margin through defender P Murlidharan.

Churchill, who play next against Salgacoar here on January 3, lead the table with 12 points. ITI have two points from two losses and two draws.

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Churchill suffered a setback when striker Andriy Malchevky got his second booking. ITI’s Onyaka Okafor, who missed the last match against Salgaocar after two bookings, received a yellow card.

Mykola Shevchenko played in midfield with the return of defender Osumanu Husseini. So pronounced was Churchill’s attack that they forced five flag kicks against none by ITI in theabortive first half. Churchill could have taken the lead in the 48th minute when a cross from overlapping left-back Anthony Pereira found Francis Silveira, whose shy hit the post and rebounded into play.

The goal came in the 55th minute, when Mykola lobbed the ball from the middle to Francis Silveira who was bought down by defender Yusuf Mohammed inside the box. Referee Chauhan had no hesitation in pointing to the dreaded spot, which was converted by Rocky Baretto. Francis Silveira scored his sixth of the league when he and Andily worked in tandem from the centre line.ITI went offensive and brought in Kenath Raj and C Prakash for Lulu Nwike and Onyaka Okafor. They succeeded in the 87th through defender P Murlidharan off a free kick.

Tollygunge breach BSF
LUDHIANA: Tollygunge Agragami defeated Border Security Force 2-1 to stay undefeated, and second, in the league here today. Tollygunge have ten points from four outings, BSF three after suffering their third defeat.

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BSF beat the Calcuttaoutfit’s goal crowding tactics to take the lead in the 53rd minute through a header by Prasanta Das.

But Tollygunge equalised 12 minutes later through Kajal Bhattacharjee, who headed home a flag kick beating BSF custodian and skipper Bibas Saha.Four minutes from the whistle, Tollygunge skipper Chandan Das struck from a free kick following Tapan Bhattacharjee’s infringement on Abdul Latif. Bhattacharjee earned a yellow card for pulling Latif by the arm.