Goans take giant strides

By S.R. Suryanarayan

CHENNAI, AUG. 23. When it comes to the crux, all the hard work assumes no meaning without a pinch of luck. That is what JCT Phagwara experienced while going down fighting 0-1 to Dempo SC Goa in the quarterfinals on Thursday in the Federation Cup football tournament at the floodlit Nehru Stadium.

Chennai is proving to be a happy hunting ground for Goan teams. Already Sporting Club de Goa has moved into the last four and now Dempo, which had come here with lesser credentials as a beaten NFL second division side, has made another giant stride in its quest for glory. If there was one man who truly galvanised the side then it was the tireless Mario Soares (player of the match) who kept the front-line ticking even as he ventured to keep the midfield a less-crowded zone.

A former champion, JCT, started on expected lines with Hardip Sangha, ever the opportunist, in the third minute itself getting the ball across to Sukhjit Singh to head goalwards, only the try went wide. Dempo's rejoinder was matching with Nigerian Alesh Shamaki daring the rival citadel with wingback Samir Naik's diagonal. The Punjab team from there kept closing in with Jaswant Singh, Sangha, Sukhjit almost closely moving up with the ball.

The first dramatic moment came nearing the half hour when a Rampal centre saw Sukhjit heading onto the crosspiece. Worse, for JCT when action quickly shifted to its end in a sudden counter, Levy Coelho had lured Shamaki with a juicy cross from far to effect a low header. The ball bounced into the cage for the all important moment of the match (30th mt).

Nearing half time, JCT went through one more bout of ill-luck when Daljit's long throw-in bounced at Dempo goal-mouth and with goal-keeper Francis Fernandes watching, went over the bar, a testimony also to the hardness of the ground.

Expectedly after breather, JCT jacked up pace. Harvinder Singh (jr) came in and straight away courted despair with a header onto the post. Soon Jaswant turn to look in disbelief his long cross from far also take the near post and deflect into play and not into the cage. The Dempo-end certainly went through a charmed life but the team did not back pedal instead put a positive front and that ultimately ensured that it was just not JCT's day.

Sporting Goa shocks Agragami

Sporting Club de Goa's dream run continued. On Wednesday the team came back from arrears to shock Tollygunge Agragami, Kolkata 2-1 for a semifinal berth. The match-winner, a `golden goal' was scored by the side's Sudanese import, Kamal Sulaiman in the 22nd minute of extra-time and it was a class effort-an angular essay from top of the box that beat the outstretched hands of Sandip Nandy. The teams were level 1-1 at full time.

The contest started on a dour note but play opened up after breather. The Kolkata side spearheaded superbly by Sasthi Duley looked daring and fittingly got the breakthrough. Kenyan, Moses Oira moving in tandem with Sasthi, gave the ball for the latter to swiftly lob over the advancing Felix D'Souza.

A goal down can be tricky situation but the Goan team, ever the trying bunch with Francis Andrade, Suliman and substitute Jerose Oliveira proving more than a handful, fought back. The entry of the Nigerian Clifford Chukwana only added teeth to the attack. The dramatic equaliser came in this midst. Jerose in trying to force his way up past three Tollygunge defenders Mustafa, Parthasarathy Dey and Subhasish Roy had a fall in the box.

Referee Pradip Kumar of Tamil Nadu took time before blowing the whistle for penalty and that raised doubts. Perhaps he had penalised Dey for having touched the ball as Television replay showed. But Pradip said the penalty was for Jerose getting `tripped'. All the same Chukwuma converted to equalise though not before seeing the ball take the right post first before deflecting in.

The contest livened up there. It was do or die. Tireless runs, ambitious long shots and desperate headers but nothing worked. In the extra-time phase Sporting looked sharper to script the climax and what a goal Suliman scored after Chukwuma angled a perfect backpass to the edge of the box. Again, was Chukwuma in off side position at the time of passing the ball was the question that lingered as Sporting players rejoiced.

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Section  : Sport
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