The Hindu : Sport / Football : Titanium in semifinals

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Monday, Nov 30, 2009
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Titanium in semifinals

Principal Correspondent

KOZHIKODE: Travancore Titanium, Thiruvananthapuram, beat Chandni FC, Kozhikode, 2-1 in extra-time and moved into the semifinals of the South Zone Federation Cup football qualifying tournament here on Sunday night. The teams were locked 1-1 at the end of the regulation time, and it was Ebin Rose who scored the winner in the 114th minute.

It was a well-deserved win for the Thiruvananthapuram, which was trailing going into the final minute of the normal time. Chandni FC had gone ahead in the 24th minute when Joseph Perera converted a penalty kick. Titanium’s equliser too came from the spot, through skipper Shabeer. It was a nice move down the left by Perera, C.K. Salavuddin and K.P. Subair that led to the goal for the Kozhikode side.

Subair’s attempt at the goal was handled by Satheesh. The resultant penalty kick was confidently converted by Perera, as Chandni FC took the lead, surprisingly, against its much more experienced rival.

The goal seemed quite a morale booster for the Kozhikode club, which pressed the accelerator and succeeded in putting the Titanium defence under pressure.

The second half, however, saw the Thiruvananthapuram outfit lifting its game, as its substitute Dinraj, who came in for Abdul Hameed, orchestrated some nice moves down the left. Titanium stepped up the pace and it seemed a matter of time before it equalised, as Chandni FC struggled.

But for a fine display under the bar by K.P. Sakeer Hussain, the Thiruvananthapuram men would have scored early in the second half. They finally equalised after Diljith’s header found the Chandni defender Hashim Malik and fetched a penalty kick. It was Ebin’s shot from close in, after being fed by Sugunan, that clinched the game and a semifinal berth for Titanium.

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