The Hindu : Sport / Football : Emphatic win for HAL

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Sunday, May 15, 2005

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Emphatic win for HAL

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: HAL, Bangalore celebrated its success of qualifying to the final round of the NFL second division with a 3-1 win over Bengal-Mumbai FC in its last match in Group `A' at the Nehru stadium on Saturday.

HAL tallied 13 points from its five outings and now awaits the other qualifier, Air India that finishes its programme on Sunday.

In a match played at a relaxed pace, the Mumbai team did well to hold HAL 1-1 at the half way stage. Poor Mondal, the HAL goalkeeper was an unhappy man though after he conceded his first goal in the current fixture. That was a penalty converted by Sajid Ansari in the sixth minute itself.

As is familiar with the HAL side, the start was fast and the result for a change came in the very first minute. Dayanand, Nandakumar and Raju formed the combination as the trio raced to the BMFC-end. Ethesham Ahmed knew his hands were full but the way he was beaten by the body feint of Raju, the goal became easy picking.

Five minutes later came the equaliser when Naveen Babu brought down Nirmal deep in the danger area. Ansari converted. HAL changed gears in the second session and Xavier Vijayakumar, the livewire in the side showed his true colours with two flash goals, first off a Dayanand pass in the 51st minute and then shooting to the roof from close range after Nandakumar did all the labour of progressing with the ball (53rd mt).

Substitutions came but the match slowly drifted until ten minutes from close for no provocation, BMFC substitute Steven Gupta's rough tackle instantly invited the Red card from Referee Kumaran. Not that it mattered but the marching orders certainly symbolised the poor run that this Mumbai side had in this phase of the league.

PTI reports from Jamshedpur

Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kolkata moved into the final round drubbing Lajong Sports Club, Meghalaya 3-0, while Punjab Police reserved a berth for the final phase, despite losing to Hindustan FC, Delhi 0-1, in the second division National Football League.

Raman Vijayan, Zubair K.P. and Jiten Rai were the goal-scorers.

In the second match, at the Keenan stadium, Punjab Police tasted its first defeat in the league against Hindustan FC, Delhi conceding a solitary goal in the second half.

Forward Tajuddin of Hindustan FC received a pass from mid-field and dribbled past the Punjab defence line to tap the ball into the net in the 87th minute. Mohammedan Sporting, which has completed the league schedule on Saturday, accumulated 11 points from five matches to qualify for the final round, beginning here from May 20. — PTI

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