MUMBAI, MARCH 5: JCT Mills (Phagwara) may be the better motivated side against Mahindras when the Philips National Football League (NFL) resumes action after a month-long break at the Cooperage tomorrow.The fear of relegation, if nothing else, should spark the Punjab millmen on against the Mumbai side, virtually doomed to playing in the lower division next season.JCT, the defending champions, are third from bottom of the 10-team league and perilously close to finishing in the last two which would deem a similar fate as Mahindras.With 17 points from 15 matches, coach Sukhwinder Singh must desperately view three points that revenge for a first-leg loss against Mahindras would bring.Mahindras pathetic tale tells of a mere five from 14 games and with matches against Calcutta sides East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and a stiff encounter against local rivals Air-India to come. The team think-tank headed by coach Dereyk de Sousa and manager Harish Rao must, at best, motivate the team to play for purely forpride.JCT's fall from grace accrues to the exodus of stars that guided them to a superb run to the title last year. While their struggle for survival this year has been well viewed in proper perspective, Sukhwinder is not thinking of the next season and the possible rebuilding of the team with transfers.He said: ``We still have three matches to go and I do not want to disturb the concentration or weaken the morale of the team.''Either side have injury problems and Nigerean striker Abdul Lateef Seriki (torn shoulder ligament), defender Ram Pal (damaged knee cartilage), Harsharanjit Singh (knee sprain) and Manjit, recovering from a swollen face - courtesy a jab from IM Vijayan of FC Kochin, are doubtful starters.The sturdy Musa Aliu, however, returns to the defence after a match's suspension and striker Stephan Abrowei is expected to provide cohesion up front.Mahindras, eying top three spots in the league at the outset, will need do soul searching on a pathetic scoring record that has yielded amere four goals in 14 matches.The Mumbai outfit's walking wounded includes defender George Fernandes (ankle), striker Abhay Kumar and Nigerean defender Oneyaka Okafor nursing a strained groin. The worst blow is striker Khalid Siddique's injured hand.To make matters worse, first-choice 'keeper Gumpe Rime has vision problems, his deputy Manoj Jaggi, a painful knee and reserve custodian Gautam Roy a fractured hand.All this after being duped by an agent who supplied two substandard Nigereans, duly packed off.
