The Hindu : Zee Churchill outplays Punjab Police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 18, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Zee Churchill outplays Punjab Police

MARGAO, MARCH 17. Zee Churchill Sports, Goa, outplayed bottom-placed Punjab Police 5-1 after leading 3-0 at the breather in the 15th round of the Tata National Football League match being played at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda here today.

Yakubu Yusuf (25th and 41st minute), Roque Barreto (30th), Sayyed Mossavi (53rd) and Somatai Shaiza (77nd) scored for Churchill. Punjab Police's lone goal came in the 50th minute through Praveen Kumar.

With this win, Zee Churchill has taken its tally to 29 points from 15 outings and is now on par with Kolkata's Mohun Bagan. Vasco Sports Club leads the tally with 31 points from 14 matches.

The home team swung into action right from the kick off as Yakubu Yusuf and Abdul Saley pierced the rival defence with good support from the mid-field trio of Aqueel Ansari, Roque Barreto and Sayyed Amin Mossavi, who were feeding their upfront brilliantly. Churchill shot into the lead in the 25th minute when Rajesh Meetei received a lob from Aqueel Ansari. The former passed to the well positioned Yakubu Yusuf, who nicely placed the ball into the net.

Inspired by the lead, Churchill pressed into the attack and five minutes later struck again through Barreto in the 25th minute. The goal was the result of a fine combined move by Abdul Saley, who passed to Yakubu, who in turn quickly switched the ball to Barreto, who tapped the ball in following a goal mouth melee 2-0.

Churchill consolidated its lead through Yakubu's goal in the 41st minute when Sayyed Mossavi from the right flank sent a pass to Yukubu, who dribbled past the entire rival defence and the goal-keeper and shot into the net (3-0).

Earlier in the 40th minute, Mossavi's carpet-drive hit the right post and went out. The home team could have been up by atleast five goals in the first half, but missed three chances in the first 15 minutes.

In the twelfth minute, Sayyed Amin's power-packed try landed in the hands of Punjab goal-keeper Satish Kumar. Another two chances were missed by Rajesh Meetei in the 15th minute and Sayyed Amin in the 17th minute. Punjab Police had a couple of chances in the first half.

After change of ends, Punjab Police regrouped well and reduced the margin in the 50th. Harish Sharma snatched the ball from Denzil Ferrao and passed to Praveen Kumar, who shot it into the net (3-1).

Churchill further increased its lead in the 53rd minute through Sayyed Mossavi when Punjab's Naresh Kumar back passed to the goalkeeper. Mossavi, who was lurking inside the goal, pounced on the opportunity and shot into the net (4-1). Somatai Shaiza scored the fifth goal for Churchill with his long range left-footer in the left corner of the net (5-1).

- UNI

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