HAL blanks Dempo SC

By Our Sports Reporter

MALDA, APRIL 21. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, qualified for the VI National Football League defeating Dempo SC 1-0 on Saturday.

HAL grounded the favourite from Goa to record its second successive win in the final phase league of II Division NFL here at the DSA Stadium. A modest weekend crowd in this district centre was greeted to a contesting match and the Bangalore team came out flying with its youthful brigade completing its conquest of the fancied teams in the four-team league, ensuring its maiden entry into the premier club tournament of the country.

Having beaten Indian Bank 4-0 in the opening match on Wednesday, HAL reproduced the show of grit and discipline in downing the flamboyant Goa team. HAL thus became the second Bangalore team after Indian Telephone Industries to reach the NFL.

The two successive wins in the final phase helped the Bangalore team secure its position on top of the league table with six points from two wins. On the other hand the Dempo's dreams of regaining a berth, that it lost in the previous season, in the NFL received a jolt with today's loss.

Following its disappointing draw against Punjab Police in the earlier match, Dempo's chances have almost extinguished as it has one point from two matches. Punjab Police too is on one point but has played a match less. Indian Bank is placed at the bottom of the league table losing the only match it played against HAL.

With three more matches remaining, the tournament now opens up contest for the second berth on offer.

Casting aside the initial hiccups, which saw the team struggling in the initial phases of the tournament, HAL has apparently transformed itself into an invincible outfit coming reaching the final and the decisive phase of the tournament. More interestingly, the players have peaked at the right juncture helping the team turn the tables against opponents like Indian Bank and Dempo, who had recorded convincing wins in the previous meetings in the tournament. It lost 1-3 to Indian Bank becoming the South Zone runner-up and it met a similar fate in the inter- zone qualifiers getting thrashed 0-3 by Dempo. But the two great performances in the final phase has erased all these blemishes.

Rajendra Prasad turned out to be the hero of the match scoring the all-important goal in the last minute of the first session. Playing as the right-half, Prasad impressed as a fleety runner. And it was one such dash on the right that saw him reach a cross from Dayananda. Advantaging from its mode of zonal attacks, HAL repeatedly created gaps in the opposition defence - marshalled by the towering Uzbekistan stopper-back Mikola Shevchenko.

Having seen a couple of close chances wasted earlier, the Bangalore boys played their roles perfectly, converting their last chance before the break. Xavier, who played well as the left-half, intercepted a Dempo attack and initiated quick counter releasing forward Dayananda with a through-pass. Dayananda, doubling as the outside-left, made a brief solo up the park before essaying a cross which was availed by Prasad, who kept his cool placing the ball past the Dempo custodian Francis Fernandes.

Dempo seemed to be undone by their striking blues, that seemed to continue for the second successive match. Having won all the nine matches that had it played becoming the zonal (West) and inter- zonal group II champion, Dempo saw the first break in its winning streak drawing unfancied Punjab Police goalless in the first match. And losing against HAL it received a bigger blow.

The team scored a total of 27 goals in the earlier two phases but a sudden goal drought seems to have affected the team in the final phase. Both the Dempo strikers Uzbeks Nikolai Maksin and Arslen Talipov have performed horribly messing up sitters. As it happened in the earlier match against Punjab Police, the Goa team played a good game in the midfield with central-halves Tejinder Kumar and Mario Soares regularly feeding the attack with the provisions.

But the forwardline, especially Talipov, appeared sloth unable to finish the opportunities that came the team's way. Dempo created at least four clear opportunities but all remained unavailed. Luck too was not on the Dempo side as one of Talipov left-footer went off the cross-piece in the 31st minute. The HAL goalkeeper, Subhas, played very well and was brilliant with his anticipation that made him invincible under the bar. HAL too had its share of opportunities but Dayanand (in the 65th) and Sunil (in the 87th) muffed both the opportunities.

HAL coach, H. Chandrasekhar, said that the success of the team was the result of a sustained programme that has seen players, gleaned mainly from SAI-Bangalore, shaping up for almost two years. He said the players have developed the right communication over the time and played an excellent team game. The coach said that ploy of using a close man-marking helped in neutralising the Dempo attack. He added that qualification into the NFL will do a great good as the boys have really worked hard and deserve a place among the country's best. Dempo officials, apparently miffed at the failure of his team, skipped the post- match press conference keeping the scribes guessing.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Proteas pushed to the back foot
Next     : JCT earns valuable points