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Another setback for Viva Kerala

Principal Correspondent

KOZHIKODE: Viva Kerala suffered another setback in its attempt to stay in the ONGC I-League when it was beaten 0-2 by Mahindra United at the Corporation Stadium here on Thursday.

Ghanaian striker Andrews M. Pomeyei, who was named Man of the Match, and Mohammed Rafi were the scorers.

The loss has put Viva under even more pressure as the league enters its final phase.

With just five matches in hand, the Kochi-based team has only 12 points, which may not quite be enough to avoid relegation.

Mahindra, which has now 20 points, deserved to win. Its defence was superior and the strikers more imaginative and penetrative.

Viva was let down by its strikers once again. Both Wisdom Abbey and Baba Tunde were involved in some promising moves but neither could deliver.

Fine goalkeeping

A fine show under the bar by the Mahindra ’keeper Sandip Nandy didn’t help the home team’s cause, either.

After a barren first half, the Mumbai team took the lead in the 27th minute.

Pomeyei, taking full advantage of a failure by the Viva defence, sneaked the ball in following a goalmouth melee.

Then Rafi, in the 72 minute, ended Viva’s hopes of a comeback. He did well to put an excellent cross from the right by Steven Dias past an advancing Viva custodian M.V. Nelson.

Perennial threat

Douhou Pierre, Mahindra’s hard-working striker from Ivory Coast was a perennial threat for the Viva defenders, especially on the right wing.

He ensured that Viva couldn’t attack as much it would have liked to.

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