The Hindu : Sport / Football : Salgaocar moves into top spot

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Friday, Mar 16, 2007
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Salgaocar moves into top spot

Principal Correspondent

KOCHI: Salgaocar, Goa, dented Indian Bank's chances of qualifying for the final phase with a clinical 2-0 win in a fourth round match of the ONGC second division NFL match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday. Felix Chimaokwu (26th) and R.C. Prakash (85th) netted for the winner.

Salgaocar, with this win, moved into the top spot with 10 points from four matches, while Indian Bank, which suffered its second defeat, has four points from four matches. Mathematically, Indian Bank is still in contention but its progress will now depend a lot on how Army XI and Lajong SC fare in their matches.

Listless display

It was listless display by the bankmen who from the start appeared to be playing for a draw. There was a marked reluctance by the Chennai side to grab the initiative and it allowed the Goan side to settle down nicely. The Nigerian Chimaokwu was in ominous form and was the architect of many Goan moves in the first half.

The Goans would have won by a handsome margin had Angelo Barreto shown maturity inside the penalty box. The Goans striker muffed up at least three sitters in the first half before Felix opened the account for the Goans. Felix's brilliant solo effort in which he beat two defenders and went around the goalkeeper Netto in the 26th minute underlined the Goan supremacy in the first half.

However, the Chennai side came close to finding an unlikely equaliser at the fag end of the first half when James Singh curled in free-kick which hit the upright and was cleared away for a corner.

Same story

The script didn't change in the second half. The bankmen looked short of ideas to stop the rampaging Goans.

Felix Chimaokwu was a constant menace. The Nigerian used his bulk and superior ball skills to slice open the bank defence time and again. It was Netto's flawless work under the bar that prevented a humiliation. Netto made at least four good saves in the match and was one of the few bank players to come out unscathed.

Netto was only beaten by Felix's superb individual skills that resulted in both the goals. Another brilliant effort by the Felix in the 85th minute saw him dribble past three defenders and hoodwinked the goalkeeper with a body swerve and centred the ball to a waiting R.C. Prakash who coolly slotted in the second goal.

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