ITI pips Churchill Brothers

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 12. Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Bangalore did not deserve to lose. And when its star striker R.C. Prakash sent his left footer past Churchill Brothers custodian Edward Ansah, with barely two minutes for the hooter, the vocal chords of the home crowd touched a feverish pitch. ITI by virtue of its 2-1 come from behind win on Sunday not only recorded its first victory in the second leg and the third in third edition of the National football league but also averted the immediate threat of relegation.

The lion hearted display by the home team won the hearts of many and when Churchill stopper and captain Osumanu Husseini scooped the ball into his own net to negate a Marcus Carvalho strike earlier, the writing was clear. Churchill's dismal `away' performance continued and a shot at the title disappeared.

ITI with this win has 17 points from 20 matches (three wins and eight draws) while Churchill remained at 35 points, also from 20 outings.

ITI's approach was refreshingly positive. ``This was how I wanted the earlier games too to be played. The victory is sweet but it should have come much earlier,'' said ITI coach A.D. Nagendra.

ITI nor Churchill had a clear look at the goal for the first 45 minutes. ITI's R.C. Prakash and Candid going for a George Ekeh header into the box collided and wasted an opportunity and minutes later R.C. Prakash booted feebly into goalkeeper Ansah off a Candid through, for the only two chances that came its way.

With the change of ends, the tidings too changed. ITI forays began to degenerate giving the Goan team much more room to maneouvre. And when fleet footed Francis Silveira came off the bench for a lackluster Somatai Shaiza in the 62nd minute, there was pep and purpose in the Churchill moves. Five minutes later came the Churchill goal. A Mario Soares pass was relayed to Andriy Malchevsky, who wasted no time in relaying it to an unmarked Marcus Carvalho on the left. With ITI defender Onyaka Okafor out of sight Carvalho send his left footer into the net with a stiff shot.

The goal spelt ITI's doom or so one thought until Churchill Brothers captain Husseini proved the saviour. A harmless George Ekeh header across the box following a Murali long ball, saw fellow Nigerian Gabriel Emechette pull it back from the goalline into the box. Husseini however in his eagerness to clear it to safety only put it into his own net, past an hapless Ansah.

The `gift' transformed the ITI forwardline and after two near misses, came the match-winner from R.C. Prakash. Off a Murali through C. Prakash who came in for Naushad Pari, put it across for R.C. Prakash. Prakash who had messed up a few clear chances made amends in style as he flicked the ball onto his left and deftly sent the ball into the far corner past an advancing Ansah.

Referee Shaji Kurian from Kerala did not help matters in a lively contest and booked Yusuf Ahmed (ITI) for deliberately handling the ball and Mykola Shevchenko (Churchill Brothers) for a blatant foul, with yellow cards.

ITI now travels to Thiruvananthapuram to play SBT on March 18 while Churchill takes on arch rivals Salgaocar at Margao, on the same day.

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