The Hindu : Churchill recovers to beat Tollygunge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Sport

Sport - Football

Churchill recovers to beat Tollygunge

KOLKATA, FEB. 21. The second phase of the National Football League had a dramatic start at the Salt Lake Stadium with Churchill Brothers recovering from 0-2 deficit to emerge a 3-2 winner against Tollygunge Agragami here on Saturday.

Playing some brilliant football in the first half, Tollygunge pulled ahead through Akeem Abolanle, who also scored the second goals, early but succumbed to a resurgent Churchill in the later half. Ghanian striker Yusuf Yakubu scored two and substitute Noel Wilson got the match-winner in the final minute to enable the winner log with 21 points from 12 games. Tollygunge, badly needing a victory to extricate itself from the relegation zone, stayed on 10 points from 12 matches.

It was a great start for Tollgunge. Dominating the game with crisp passes and measured movements, the home team struck in the 24th minute through Akeem. Getting possession of a long pass from medio Sandip Das, Akeem sold a dummy to the rival defence and raced into the penalty box to drive home the goal.

Ten minutes later came Tollygunge's second strike following a free-kick. A Jiten Rai kick came to Akeem via Habib Ali after rival custodian Mare Mascrenas failed to judge the flight of the ball. The close range target did not pose any problem for Akeem.

The change of end meant change of fortune for Churchill. Striving hard the Goan outfit changed its plan and used the two strikers with telling effect. As the pressure mounted on the Tollygunge defence, Sandip Das was pulled up for handling the ball off a shot from Rajesh Meetei and the 56th minute penalty award was enough for Yakubu to pull one back.

Five minutes later, the Ghanian produced a splendid goal to neutralise the lead Tollygunge was enjoying. Off a shallow pass from Benjamin on top of the penalty box, Yakubu wrong-footed his marker with a sudden turn and drilled in a volley past the rival goalkeeper.

With two goals all, the game picked up momentum with both in search of the match-winner. As it looked the encounter would end in a draw, substitute Wilson slammed in a 30-yard pile-driver that brooked to response from the Tollygunge goaltender Samit Debnath. — Our Special Correspondent

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