JCT earns valuable points

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, APRIL 21: Languishing in the relegation zone, Jagatjit Textile and Cotton (JCT) Mills, Phagwara, earned three valuable points beating Tollygunge Agragami by the odd goal in three in the National Football League match at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium here on Saturday.

The win lifted JCT to 19 points from 20 matches to tie with the other team facing relegation, Air-India. State Bank of Travancore (SBT) with 18 occupy the last place in the standing. Despite the loss, Tollygunge Agragami stayed in a relatively safer zone with 23 points earned from 21 games. It had one more match left against Mahindra United to be played at Mumbai on April 29.

JCT would be taking on Indian Telephone Industries, Bangalore, on April 25 in an away game and play Salgaocar on April 30, the final day of the ongoing NFL.

Tollygunge could not combine well against the tough game of JCT. It looked at times that Tollygunge was playing for a draw especially in the first half. Both teams lacked focus and it told on the standard of the game in the earlier half. Not that the teams did not earn a few chances, especially the home side but it could not be utilised.

Partha Sarathi Dey's 20-yard drive was blocked by JCT custodian and the loose ball should have found the target but Abdullateef Seriki ballooned over the bar to the mortification of all his teammate. This early striker could have changed the complexion of the game totally but it was not to be.

JCT, playing its usual long ball to the wings, high crosses to the penalty box, hard running and tough tackling, kept up the pressure. What marked its game in the second half, in which all the three goals were scored, was its aggressive approach, concerted move to attack the rival goal and better motivation to win the game.

Change of sides did improve the approach work of both the teams and it was Tollygunge which made a couple of sharp moves early in the half. With ball moving up and down, the play picked up speed, momentum and interest when Tollygunge drew the first blood.

After a passing bout in the midfield Seriki made a quick pass to Emeka Achilefu whose left-footer found the net. The goal galvanised the JCT and it showed urgency in getting back to equal terms. JCT kept attacking especially from the right flank where Jaswinder Singh was very active.

The hard running midfielder repeatedly moved up to join the attack and eight minutes after Tollygunge goal, Jaswinder brought parity slamming home a half-volley following a Jaspreet Singh centre from left wing. Hemanta Dora, under the Tollygunge bar, had no chance to stop the ball.

The goal brought a sea change in JCT's confidence and it began to attack with its tail up. It did not wait for long as four minutes later Jaswinder, switching flanks, beat Partha Sarathi Dey on the run, and centered from almost zero angle into the box where Hardeep Gill placed the ball home, the ball going via a defender's body.

Up and winning, JCT totally controlled the game thereafter and did not allow Tollygunge to comeback into the game with some tight defensive tactic. In the end, JCT was rewarded for hard work. Its record against all the three Kolkata teams was superb. In the previous return league matches, JCT held both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan 2-2 and beat Tollygunge today.

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Section  : Sport
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