BMFC, Vasco qualify for second leg

BMFC fielded their side without four main players. Striker Emeka Achelifu and Harsharanjit Singh were down with groin injuries, medio Gurinderpal Singh was suffering a one-match suspension because of two yellow8217;s, and medio Jaspreet Singh was down with fever.

The match-winner in the BMFC-IAF match came in the 70th minute when striker Uday Konar was pulled down by IAF defender Prosonjit Mukherjee and referee Bharat Mani awarded BMFC a spot-kick. Medio Okafor bulged the net from the spot assuring his team8217;s qualification for next round.

The second match between Vasco and HAL was expected tobe a closely contested but it turned out to be an one-sided affair. HAL gave away a 0-3 lead, meekly to Vasco in the first-half.

Vasco striker Climax Lawrence pumped in two in the span of six minutes. On the first occasion, he placed his shot off a Premanad Gadekar cross in the 23rd while on the second, he nodded in Teotonio Fernandes8217; low cross in the 29th.

Hard-working striker Louis Nickson added another brace to make it 4-0 in favour of Goan team. In the 38th minute, he found the net off Lawrence8217;s through pass and his powerful cross got deflected off HAL 8216;keeper Subhash in the 53rd before rolling over the goal-line. Tony Okafor headed in Nickson8217;s cross in 63th minute to make it 5-0.

HAL lifted to save their faces and got back two in the last twelve minutes. The duo of Sunil Sr and Xavier brought back the consolatory goals. In the 79th minute, Xavier dispatched a powerful left-footer off Sunil8217;s square pass. Three minutes before the final whistle, Sunil8217;s half-volley found the roof of Vasco8217;scitadel off a good defence splitting pass from Xavier.