Mumbai, December 15: At the outset, Mahindra United looked the smarter side than Air-India with their bright new red colours. But after the 90-minute contest, it was Air-India who warmed the cockles of the heart of the goodly crowd as they trooped out victors with a slender but deserving 2-1 margin, in the National Football League (NFL) encounter at the Cooperage, on Friday.This was the third meeting of the season between the two local giants. Mahindra had won the first meeting 2-0 and the second had resulted in a goalless draw and had given Mahindras the Harwood title. Friday's victory was sweet revenge for Air-India.It was Air-India who had the major share of the exchanges as well as goal scoring chances. They took the lead in the 12th minute through Radhakrishna Dubey. But their joy was short-lived as after just two minutes, Abbas Ali Rizvi put the jeepmen on level terms. But Air-India had the last laugh when darling-of-the-crowd Bungo Singh rifled home the match-winner from close in the dying minutes, to ensure Air-India a smooth take-off.``We were the better side today,'' said Bimal Ghosh at a press briefing after the game. ``We had practiced a lot,'' he replied after a scribe had pointed out that both the Air-India goals came off set-piece moves. ``We missed a lot of chances and were better off in off-the-ball moves which rattled the experienced Mahindra players,'' Bimal added. ``Blatant fouls on two of our players surprisingly went un-noticed,'' Air-India manager Santan D'Souza pointed out.Air-India now take on Salgaocar in their away match on December 20. The two had met this season in Podicherry and the match had resulted in a 1-1 draw.``We didn't play at all today,'' said Mahindra coach Shabbir Ali and also stated that he wasn't giving any excuses. ``They played better,'' he added. ``We panicked in the dying minutes,'' Manager Harish Rao chipped in and admitted that all their star players were on the injury list. The jeepmen now run into JCT at home on December 18.It was Air-India who settled down easily. They created a flutter in the very third minute when Tomba Singh powerful shot was prevented from entering the goal with his fists at the last moment by international goalkeeper Virender Singh at the expense of an abortive flag-kick.But Air-India struck in grand fashion in the 12th minute. Stopper Khambiton Singh neatly floated the ball to the top of the Mahindra box with a 35-yarddiagonal kick from the right. Radhakrishna Dubey, the other Air-India defender who had moved up, jumped high and beat Singh with an angular header to the left off the 'keeper.The Mahindra equaliser, which was greeted loudly by the banging of drums and cymbals, came two minutes later. Rivzi beat Air-India 'keeper Yousuf Ansari with his second attempt after the 'keeper had parried the first, following a low cross from the right flank by Manjit Singh.The equaliser, brought the best out of the jeepmen and they dominated for a quite a long spell in a sustained manner in the first-half. They came by a lone chance during this half, but S Venkatesh had the misfortune of seeing his goal attempt land safely into the hands of goalkeeper Ansari in the 26th minute.In the opening minutes of the second-half, Bungo had a fine chance of wresting the lead for the airmen. But he fired the ball over after Khalid Jamil and Anthony Fernandes were concerned in one of the best moves of the game down the left flank.Air-India were right on top thereafter. Ratan Singh failed to find the target from handshaking distance in the 60th. But Bungo Singh sent the Air-India supporters into raptures when he struck from close with a powergul shot in the 89th minute, following a shrewdly taken flag-kick by Jamil and Fernandes.
