Tollygunge, Air India split points

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, MARCH 19. Tollygunge Agragami has been plagued by inconsistent showing in the ongoing National Football League. A brilliant display one day and abysmal showing another day with the result the team has been languishing at the bottom of the league table.

After a tremendous showing against Salgaocar in the last match, which Tollygunge won, the Kolkata outfit struggled to play cohesive football against Air India, Mumbai to draw the game 1-1 at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium here on Monday.

Air India also put up a very poor display. After conceding the lead to Tollygunge Agragami in the 71st minute of the dull game, Air India pulled one back to save face with a last gasp effort in the 88th minute. The two goals apart, the game nearly gave everyone the much needed siesta on a warm afternoon.

At the end of the game both teams had logged 14 points from 14 games, not a healthy state of affairs though a couple of more teams were behind them.

Yet, with the league hotting up, it was time for both Tollygunge and Air India to pick up the pieces to perform better to avoid the danger zone as early as possible. Truly, Tollygunge had a very bad game. There was total lack of planning and the forward movement lacked purpose. It looked as if Tollygunge had fielded a few individuals who were playing for themselves.

But for its striker Abdullatif Seriki, Tollygunge would not have got the goal. Seriki, having missed a sitter just a minute earlier, back-volleyed for the 71st minute strike and it appeared as if the local team would, after all, carry the day.

But Air India was not disheartened, and a move down the left came to the box in the form of a cross from Tomba Singh which the defence cleared.

Arun Malhotra, who had a good game in the Air India defence, overlapped, took possession of the ball, went past two Tollygunge defenders and shot a left-footer past the goalkeeper.

The standings at the end of Round XIV (read under played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against and points): East Bengal: 14-9-4-1-18-4-31; FC Kochin: 14-8-5-1-22-14-29; Mohun Bagan: 14-7-4-3-27-14-25; Salgaocar SC: 14-6-2-6-16-14-20; Vasco SC: 14- 4-8-2-8-10- 20; Churchill Brothers: 14-5-4-5-16-13-19; ITI: 14-3- 6-5-8-9-15; Air India: 14-3-5-6-18-21-14; Tollygunge Agragami: 14-2-8-4-7-11-14; Mahindra United: 14-3-5-6- 8-16-14; SBT: 14-2-6-6-14-26-12; JCT: 14-0-6-8-7-17-7.

Tollygunge Agragami's Aboymi Felix (left) and Air India defender Denis George fight for possession in the National Football League match in Kolkata on Monday.

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Section  : Sport
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