Central Railway too tough for Pune cops

After leading 1-0 at half-time through a penalty-stroke conversion by Rakesh Potteti in the 21st minute, Central Railway smothered the cops’ resistance in the second half with goals by Amrik Singh, Mohammad Amin and Sayyed Javed to reduce the holders to second best.

It might have been a little different for the local side had Mark Anthony deflected Sanjay Muthaiah’s forward pass home in the 14th minute of play. The policemen scarcely got a good look at the Railways goal in the first half after that. Before long, they were a goal in arrears when umpire Victor Anthony blew for a penalty stroke after a defenderblocked the ball with his foot. Potteti stepped up for Central and gave Patil no chance with a fluent grounder to the goalkeeper’s left.

As the heavens opened at the start of the second half, Central released the floodgates with a lightning goal by Amrik Singh, spanking to the boards from right-winger Vijendra Sharma’s precise cross.

The next came off Central’s sixth short corner. Mohd Amin, going it alone, stopped, controlled and still unchallenged stuck the boards amid a transfixed defence in the 55th minute.

Young Sunil Pereira, at centre-half, refused to be left out of the action. He sped down the left flank, hugged the goalline before pulling it back for Sayyed Javed to score with a simple tap.