Churchill salvage point from Siddi’s lapse

Churchill coach Danny McLennan, for one, was pleased, and not just because of the point his side grabbed after seemingly being doomed to defeat. “It was nice to have entertained the crowd,” the Scotsman said, before spelling out the plusses and minusses of his team’s display.

Alvito D’Cunha shot Salgaocar ahead as early as the third minute, accepting mid-fielder Shanmugham Venkatesh’s pass into the box.

With minutesticking by and Salgaocar’s fans anticipating victory, Churchill equalised when Osmanu Hussein nodded in a long free-kick taken by his goalkeeper Edward Anshah — thanks to his opposite number Siddi’s error in leaving his line. With three defenders attending to Hussein, the Salgaocar ‘keeper, with an excellent performance behind him, clearly should not have advanced.

Salgaocar coach Shabbir Ali, however, was sympathetic although admitting to Siddi’s mistake. “I thought he was in two minds,” Shabbir said.

The bigger mistakes, though, were committed in Salgaocar’s mid-field which deteriorated after Shabbir replaced Venkatesh who is carrying an injury. It further weakened the Goa League champions’ strength at the back which sorely missed the injured skipper Roberto Fernandes and DC Nathaniel.

By contrast, Churchill, lucky to cross over only a goal in arrears, came back emphatically after McLennan brought in Cyril Baretto for the disappointing Somatai Shaiza in the attack.

After taking the lead,Salgaocar could well have knocked a whole lot of stuffing out of Churchill, looking wayward in attack and vulnerable at the back. But Shabbir’s team has long been plagued by prodigality and today was no different. Alvito D’Cunha seems to be getting better by the day and after shooting his side ahead, the youngster set up Nigerian forward Jude Odegah twice before the match was 20 minutes old. Odegah shot wide first, failed to get the better of Churchill keeper Ansah on the second occasion as Salgaocar kept on the pressure. The best chance before the interval also fell to Salgaocar. Frantic action in front of goal saw Ansal first block Alvito’s volley.

Crazy going when Hussein headed away Odegah’s attempt on the rebound after full-throated Salgaocar supporters had already shouted goal’. The score, however, remained 1-0.

Churchill’s tactics of punting the ball ahead may have been desperate measures but they helped. There must be a limit to endurance. And with Churchill’s frequent, though timid, forays onthe Salgaocar citadel, the breaking point appeared round the corner.

The pressure on the overworked keeper began to tell. Odogah saved Salgaocar with ten minutes remaining, booting clear after Siddi found himself out of position but the citadel fell within minutes.

And with a touch of cruel irony, Salgaocar’s international Bruno Coutinho was adjudged off-side and the resultant free-kick taken by Churchill Brother’s Ghanaian ‘keeper Ansah led to Hussein scoring — with a little help from the unfortunate Siddi.