Date:23/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/23/stories/2008092360382000.htm

Sport - Football

Loyola beats Sathyabama

Special Correspondent

— Photo: R. Ragu

WINNING COMBINATION: The Loyola College team after winning the CFA-Nagalingam Nadar Memorial football tournament.

CHENNAI: Loyola College edged Sathyabama 4-3 via tie-break after they were locked goalless at the end of regulation time in the final of the CFA-S. Nagalingam Nadar Memorial inter-collegiate football tournament at the Pachaiyappas College ground on Monday.

It was a perfect finish with the final kick in the tie-break resolving the deadlock. It was a test of nerves for Shiva, who took that final kick. But he scarcely displayed the tension as he sent the ball to the roof of the net, an effort that would have done any professional proud.

However, the earlier part of final hardly reflected those closing moments. The teams hardly settled down to anything constructive and by the end, with players showing signs of fatigue, hefty and wild clearances became commonplace.

Loyola started promisingly. For nearly 15 minutes it had action at the rival end with Fredrick, popularly known as ‘Fredy’, in focus. For some inexplicable reason, Fredy was soon moved to the midfield when his instincts suited a striker’s role. That defensive act virtually evened out the contest with Sathyabama gaining freedom to dare a few aerial shots towards Loyola’s end.

Loyola could still have clinched the issue around half time when Cha-Cha, the Mizoram player, moved in perfectly to accept Surya’s pass and had goalkeeper Raneesh Rahman at his mercy. But over-elaboration ended his enterprise with Rehman diving at his feet and grabbing the ball.

In the tie-breaker, Manikandan, Fredrick and Vinoth apart from Shiva scored for the winner while only Shiju, Senthil Kumar and Shabeer Ali succeeded for Sathyabama.

Earlier, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering edged Pachaiyappas 1-0 for the third place through Stanley Sebastian’s strike.

The Joint Director, Vigilance and Anti-corruption, T.K. Rajendran gave away the prizes. Loyola College received Rs. 25,000, Sathyabama Rs. 15,000, St. Joseph’s Rs 10,000 and Pachaiyappas Rs. 5,000.