The Hindu : Abulalem nets Agragami's winner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 05, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Abulalem nets Agragami's winner
By Our Sports Reporter

Manaksia Tollygunje Agragami's goal- keeper Sandip Nandy acrobatically thwarts a Raman Vijayan (left) shot even as the former's team-mate Subhasish Roy Chowdhury tries to intervene, in the National Football League match against Mahindra United in Kolkata on Monday.

KOLKATA, MARCH 4. Manaksia Tollygunge Agragami sprung a major surprise beating title aspirant Mahindra United 1-0 in a 14th round match of the Tata National Football League at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Monday. Nigerian striker Akeem Abulalem scored the winner in the 89th minute to give the local side three precious points while compounding the woes for the visitor.

With a late resurgence at home, the local team notched up its second consecutive win against a fancied opposition to bring itself into the contest in the 12-team tournament. More than earning points for itself, Agragami has also helped in opening up the competition and thrusting a new order of teams up the league table. Agragami, with 18 points from 14 matches, can feel greatly relieved having seen the relegation fears recede to a distance.

On the other hand, Mahindra United has all the reasons to be dejected about its Kolkata sojourn. The Mumbai team arrived here as the leader having completed 12 rounds with six wins, five draws and just one loss. The 1-2 loss against defending champion East Bengal in the 13th round shook it and today's humiliation at the very same venue appears to have shattered the visitor, which suffered a deficit of six possible points.

Beginning the second phase of the two-tier league with a 1-1 draw against JCT Mills at home, the two consecutive losses in the away matches have inflicted a telling blow on the aspirations of the Mumbai giant, which remains on 23 points from 14 matches.

Injuries to a host of key players midway through the tournament came up as a big problem for Mahindra and the miseries compounded as the team was further plagued by suspensions. The Mumbai team presented a rickety bench strength against Agragami, as it could field only a 15 players out of a possible 18.

With Anthony Pereira, Khalid Siddiqe and Jules Alberto serving suspensions following bookings in the match against East Bengal and the Nigerian game-maker Habib Adekunle injured, coach Harish Rao had to do with a rag-tag midfield and a wobbly defence that appeared to be in a state of confusion whenever the opponents attacked.

Given the advantage, Agragami attacked in hordes and created numerous opportunities but the goal remained elusive as Akeem failed to exact the finish necessary to beat the reflexes of Mahindra custodian Virender Singh, whose heroics saved the visitor from a greater humiliation. There was hardly anything remarkable from Mahindra, which looked preoccupied with tending its own defence than attacking, for most of the match.

With Singh putting up an exceptional show under the Mahindra bar and Akeem messing all the provision from his Agragami colleagues, the greater part of the match evoked little to alter the scoreline.

Akeem finally redeemed his almost perennial waywardness, slotting the ball into the net with just a minute to go for the final whistle.

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