Fancied BPCL survive Port thrust

On resumption, the fight continued in right earnest when MbPT made it 2-3 in the 38th minute. But BPCL settled their hash by making it 4-2, two minutes later. MbPT then struck from a stray raid in the 68th minute (3-4), but thereafter ran out of time in their desperate bid for the equaliser.

This was the fifth straight victory for BPCL. MbPT, who have also played five games, have won two and lost three of their outings.

Saurab Bishnoi gave BPCL the lead following a penalty-corner. His rasping shot off a penalty-cornerstruck the boards past a helpless Jahangir Shaikh beneath the MbPT bar.

MK Prakash converted a stroke with a push to the left of goalkeeper Jahangir, to make it 2-0 for BPCL. The stroke resulted after Sabu Varkey was stick-checked deep in the opponent’s goalmouth after a fine solo run.

MbPT’s Digvijay Naik, who had a good match, converted a stroke and reduced the margin (1-2) minutes before, another dazzling run by Varkey ended with Deepak Sharma beating goalkeeper Jahangir with an angular reverse shot (3-1).

MbPT were awarded another stroke when well-placed centre-forward Salauddin Siddique was blocked from scoring by BPCL goalkeeper Joaquim Fernandes during a melee. Naik converted with a scoop to the roof at the goalkeeper’s right (2-3).

A Vaman then dampened the MbPT hopes when he neatly first-timed a rising square pass from the right by Sandeep Somesh to make it 4-2 in BPCL’s favour.

Goalkeeper Jahangir brought off two fine saves following tries by Vaman and MK Prasad before Abhijeet Shirsatstruck for MbPT (3-4) with a neat reverse hit from the top of the circle in the 65th minute. The BPCL defence then withstood the pressure in the last five minutes.

Earlier in the Second Division match, Larsen and Toubro rallied to hold Hindustan Organic Chemicals 1-1.

Manoj Gale gave HOC the lead in the 21st minute, while SS Ahluwalia restored parity for L&T in the 51st minute.