The Hindu : Sport / Football : FC Kochin hammers hapless J&K Bank

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

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Sport - Football

FC Kochin hammers hapless J&K Bank

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE, MAY 4. FC Kochin defeated Jammu and Kashmir Bank 5-0 to keep alive its hopes of a berth in the final phase of the Second Division National Football League.

In a Group A match at the Football stadium here on Tuesday, Philip Tarlue and K.V. Vipin scored a brace each while Theodore Wrobeh chipped in with a lone goal to help FC Kochin register its maiden victory from three matches.

FC Kochin has four points and is on par with Hindustan FC, while ASEB has three points from two matches. The three teams are in the race for the second spot with HAL, with three victories, having already secured a berth in the final phase scheduled to commence here on May 16.

FC Kochin dominated Tuesday's match against a side which suffered its third successive defeat. J&K Bank was never in the fray as its defence wilted and with Deepak Sangral and Gurmeet Singh failing to convert a free kick, hopes of a comeback receded.

Philip Tarlue's 20-yard stinger left J & K Bank goalkeeper Vikramjeet Singh clueless in the 16th minute. The goal inspired FC Kochin to mount more sorties but with Tarlue and Samuel Jackson fumbling near the goalmouth and rival goalkeeper Vikramjeet Singh effecting good saves, the victors had to rest easy with a 1-0 score at the break.

The second half however provided easy pickings as J&K Bank despite cluttering its defence failed to plug the gaps created by Tarlue and Wrobeh. Tarlue struck his and the side's second goal in the 56th minute with a deft header off an Akbar Singh cross.

J&K Bank's woes worsened when FC Kochin substituted Akbar Singh with K.V. Vipin, who excelled as the roving medio. Vipin stepped in and schemed well to set up his team's third goal.

Vipin's pass from the right was relayed by Tarlue and Jackson to Wrobeh who bulged the net in the 70th minute.

Five minutes later, Vipin's left-footer off a Tarlue diagonal surprised custodian Vikramjeet Singh. Vipin topped his effort with an encore in the very next minute as his right footer cannoned off Vikramjeet's flailing hands and sailed into the goal to lend an emphatic finish to FC Kochin's perfect outing on an overcast day.

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