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| Preston netted two for Md. Sporting |
Calcutta: Mohammedan Sporting avenged their first leg defeat to the Dempo Sports Club, pipping the latter 3-2 in the return leg of the ONGC Cup National Football League match at the Salt Lake Stadium. The Goans had outplayed the Calcutta giants 5-0 in their home match.
The black-and-whites were on their feet from the outset on Tuesday. Eric Mputu Bolwe drew the first blood in the sixth minute to end the first session and began on a similar note after the breather. They went 2-0 up in the 49th minute through Papai Preston Corporal. Dempo struck back in the 63rd minute via Joaquim Abranches. However, Preston with a 79th minute strike put Mohammedan Sporting 3-1 up. Dempo reduced the margin in the stoppage time through Ranti Martins. Four of the five were scored through fascinating display of headers.
The Mohammedan Sporting played their hearts out and kept up the tempo in the brilliant victory under lights. Having snatched three crucial points from the top-rung Dempo, Mohammedan Sporting will just make the equation in the ladder more interesting. With this Mohammedan Sporting have 10 points, while Dempo have 20 from 11 matches.
Biswajit Bhattacharya’s boys pounced on the second-placed team in the table from the word go. Jatin Singh Bisth’s measured flag-kick was headed home by Eric. Even after conceding a goal, Dempo countered well and on few occasions thronged the Mohammedan Sporting goal but to no effect.
TEAMS
Mohammedan Sporting: Nasibul Haque, Mir Farooq Hyder, Madab Das, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Eric Bolwe Mputu, Ndem Guy Herve (Sunil Kumar 55), Basudeb Mondal, Jatin ingh Bisth, Surojit Roy (Zamir Ali Mondal 72), Harbinder Singh (S. Firoz 73), Papai Preston Corporal.
Dempo: VP Satish Kumar, Valeriano Rebello, John Dias, Majeck Bolaji, Samir Naik, Clifford Miranda (Jerry Zirsangha 50), Climax Lawrence (Ristan Rodrigues 77), Peter Carvalho, Anthony Pereira (Joaquim Abranches 52), Ranti Martins, Roberto Silva.
Referee: Dinesh Nair (Gujarat).
Man-of-the-Match: Papai Preston Corporal.
