Tags:
Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, JULY 15: Debutantes Fr. Agnel and Maharashtra State Police were caught in more than just rain. Both conceded enough goals for their embarrasment in their Gulf Oil Super Division matches games at the Cooperage.
Air-India and BMFC took advantage and the latter conceded two goals only because of some clumsy lapses from their goalkeeper.
For Fr. Agnel, today’s defeat must have made them aware of the ground realities….literally too. On a pitch that became increasingly soggy, Agnel did not have the power to match Air-India.
To Agnel’s horror, there was a five-minute phase when they conceded three goals, and the fight to Air-India. It was a defensive problem for Agnel, who tended to play far too back and crowding the middle giving Air-India space from the flanks to send in their crosses. Not having the height to win in the air, Agnel sooner or later had to concede a goal.
The first goal typified Agnel’s faulty approach. Three men crowded Khalid Jamil and he released the ball to Surinder Pal who slotted home.
Air-India kept up the pressure. They did not have any defensive duties in the first half and bored of a three-goal cushion, they conceded some territory in the second.
Air-India got their second goal through blazing shot from Tomba Singh, who blasted away with his outstep. The third goal was a lesson for Agnel on how to get the ball away from their defence with the quickest possible touches in such ground conditions. Left-back Subhash Rathod dribbled a couple of times but Surjit Tigga quickly stole the ball, bolted down the right and sent a low cross. Pal dived forward to head in — a la Jurgen Klinsmann.
After conceding a soft fourth goal with Pal getting his third, Air-India scored their fifth with another brilliant opportunistic goal — from Anthony Fernandes. He flicked in even as Rupesh Kamath was about to collect Khambiton Singh’s cross.
ROY BLUNDERS: BMFC could also have had a clean slate like Air-India but for Amit Singa Roy, their goalkeeper. He let slip a simple cross close to the goal and Anil Shinde booted it in. Another cross in the second slipped out of Roy’s hands and Shinde benefitted again.
By half-time BMFC had a brilliant lead — 4-1. And the man who started MSP’s rout was Uday Konar. A brilliant long ball from Santosh Kashyap from the defence set Konar free on the left. Konar outpaced a defender, rounded off the goalkeeper and scored. Konar, infact, had a touch in the first four goals. His flagkick was neatly converted by Adel Ansari for their second goal, a break down the right by him and a set up for Adel made it 3-1 for BMFC. The fourth was brilliant goal.
Konar and Adel had a one-two with the former being released forward by Adel. Konar’s pass across the goalmouth was converted by Manas Thapa coming in from the right.
Adesinha Sadiq headed in Lanachuba Inchen’s free-kick in the second half to round off the tally.
