The Hindu : Salgaocar enters final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 08, 2003

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Sport - Football

Salgaocar enters final

By Our Special Correspondent

Salgaocar's Felix Ibrebru is tackled by Covan Lawrence of Mahindra United, as Mahindra's goal-keeper Naseem Akhtarnis watches, in the semifinals of the Durand football tournament in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI NOV. 7. Down by a goal in the second minute, Salgaocar Club came back to subdue Mahindra United 2-1 and make the final of the Durand Cup football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium here on Friday.

Salgaocar, which is making its second entry into the final, awaits the winner of Saturday's semifinal between East Bengal and Air India. The final will be played on Monday.

Mahindra will rue its missed chances; the Mumbai team defender Sanjay Parte will rue his folly of pulling Tomba Singh down, outside the box on the left side, a second half offence that earned him a red card since he was already on a yellow-card booking.

The numerical weakness was bound to cause a dent in the Mahindras defence. On its part, Salgaocar kept up the pressure till it went ahead in the 28th minute of the second half. After that, for much of the time, the Goans played `possession' football. Mahindras played the last half an hour with 10 men.

Salgaocar was rather subdued to begin with, allowing much room upfront to the Mahindra strikers, Felix Aboagye and Raphel Patron, both foreign recruits and both threatening to dismantle the defence with their speed. Aboagye's early goal was quite a spectacular effort, from just inside the box after he had dodged a defender on a move from the right corner of the box that should have been nipped in the bud.

The early setback seemed to weigh down the Salgaocar players. They had their chances, especially when goal-keeper Naseem Akhtar fumbled with a few collections. But somehow, the better of the openings in the first half came Mahindras' way.

Patron had his shot blocked by Rajat Ghosh Dastidarr who managed to tip over a long-ranger from Parte and then Aboagye delayed when presented a golden opening and finally pushed weakly to the goalkeeper.

Once the hard-working Felix Ibrebru put Salgaocar on even terms, running in from behind to place the ball past a diving Akhtar off a cross from Ragui Singh, who had come overlapping unchallenged, the Goans took control in the midfield.

A minute after the equaliser, Mahindras was down to 10 men and though the Mumbai league champion, undefeated at home till Friday afternoon, fought on gamely it was only a matter of time for Salgaocar to breach the defence.

The winning goal was off a counter attack , initiated from the deep by Bello Rasaq. Ibrebru set the ball up for Dharamjit, backpassing from the left. The midfielder's shot deflected in off defender Covan Lawrence's legs, leaving Akhtar with little chance.

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