The Hindu : Goals prove elusive on opening day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Sport

Sport - Football

Goals prove elusive on opening day

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA MAY 20 . Goals were at a premium on the opening day of the second junior under-19 football tournament for the NFL clubs here on Tuesday.

Defending champion East Bengal was held scoreless by Tollygunge Agragami while JCT Academy too was denied success by Chennai-based Indian Bank in group B actions.

The idea of having picked boys from different clubs with little training showed very obviously in East Bengal's game. Lack of cohesive play against Tollygunge Agragami meant the teams split the points though Tollygunge's performance was far better in the later half. In fact, the latter had recruited as many as six age group boys this year specially for this tournament and these boys lifted their game a notch higher in the second half.

Tollygunge's dominance was clear in the second session but the all-important goal eluded it.

Power, hard running and thrustful raids marked the JCT Academy's game against Indian Bank, a collection of school, college and a few from local clubs in Chennai. A few of Indian Bank boys showed explosive speed but in the absence of combination play it hardly troubled the JCT defence.

It was clear by the end of the first quarter that JCT looked the better side and this continued till the end. It was providence that Indian Bank did not go down by at least 3-0 thanks to lack of imagination on the part of the JCT strike force at the all important attacking zone.

Two chances went missing for JCT in the first half with Rajkumar Yadav shooting into the cross piece when challenged by goalkeeper S. Rajini. This 18th minute reprieve was followed by a goalline save in the 22nd minute by Indian Bank's V. Arokiaraj off a Manpreet Singh's header from well inside the penalty area.

The proceedings continued in the same vein as JCT got two more positive chances in the later half only to muff them. The action would resume on Thursday after a day's rest.

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