Najeeb's strikes sink FC Kochin

By Our Special Correspondent

THRISSUR, MARCH 12. Mahindra & Mahindra, Mumbai, fresh from its surprise win over Churchill Brothers, Goa in the last round produced yet another shock as it sunk FC Kochin by a 2-0 margin in the IV Coco Cola National football league at the Municipal stadium here on Sunday. The win shaped by the two strikes from Mohammed Najeeb, once in each half, now puts the Mumbai side in the fourth spot with two rounds still to go.

This setback was the first reverse for the Kochi side in the second phase as also its first home defeat in the league. And, this came about as the result of a pathetic display in the first session when the side was totally outplayed by its determined rival, out to prove its real value. True, that the Kochi side did miss the services of two its regulars - Mahesh Gawli and K.Noushad (out on a one-match suspension having drawn two yellow cards in the previous encounters) this evening.

But that could never be held up as the sole reason as it would be difficult to camouflage the poor marksmanship of its forwards, Issac Tondo especially, and who in the end cut a sorry figure before a capacity crowd. This was when the Kochi side seemed to have gained its rhythm, finally, midway through the second-half after I.M.Vijayan turned away from his usual position upfront and shouldered the responsibility of a playmaker.

Much to the chargin of the Kochi side's supporters, Tondo, Sunday Seah, who once again was pushed into the frontline after being replaced by Saji Joy in the goal, and Eugene Gray were too rash with their finishing that only put paid to the efforts of their illustrious colleague, pursuing the team's cause in right earnest despite a nagging injury to his left knee. Virender Singh, under the Mahindra bar, made two good save both off Tondo before Najeeb added one more goal to his 15th-minute lead-winning effort.

If the Kochi side thus failed on many counts, the success of the Mumbai outfit was largely fashioned by the hard work delivered by its midfielders led by the ever-green Aqeel Ansari, deploying a tough man-to-man attack on their immediate rivals so as to regain possession time and again. It was a simple and straightforward plan of action, without any intricate patterns, which also took much pressure away from the team's defence.

With the midfield under its firm control, the Mumbai outfit also enjoyed a major share of the exchanges during the first quarter hour before Najeeb made the most of a high ball clearance from the back, that nipped a FC Kochin move initiated by Tejinder from the right, and struck in brilliant fashion. His speed was sufficient to beat back the challenge from Firoz and once he got past the latter, Najeeb had all the time in the world to draw out Seah from the post and plant the ball into the net with a delectable right-footer.

On a day when history of sorts was made with the posting of the lone woman referee in the National panel, Bentilla D'Couth of Kerala, to act as a reserve referee in a senior National fixture for the first time, Najeeb's second goal was made possible by a overlapping Ramesh Rajak. Taking the ball down the line through the right, Rajak centered the ball in fine fashion and with the rival defence caught unawares, Najeeb once again enjoyed the luck of being left unmarked before he took the cross in his chest and then put the ball past a shocked Saji Joy.

FC Kochin will next meet Salgoacar SC, Goa here on Wednesday, while, Mahindra will take on another Goan outfit Dempo SC, on the same day.

lThe standings (read under as played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against and points): Mohun Bagan: 20-13-5-2-31-14-44; Salgaocar SC: 19- 10-6-3-21-9-36; Churchill Brothers: 20-10-5-5- 31-16-35; Mahindra & Mahindra: 20-8-8-4-24-12-32; JCT: 20-8-7-5- 19-15-31; FC Kochin: 18-7-7-4-20-18-28; East Bengal: 20-6-8-6-20- 19-26; Tollygunge Agragami: 20-6-8-6-18-22-26; State Bank of Travancore: 20-6-2-12- 15-30-20; Indian Telephone Industries: 20- 3-8-9-15-23-17; Border Security Force: 20-3-4-13-8-23-13; Dempo SC: 19-1-6-12-8-29-9.

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