Date:19/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/19/stories/2008101959701900.htm

Sport - Football

Roy brings cheer to AI

Special Correspondent

Mumbai: Air India coach Bimal Ghosh and his weary charges ought to be pleased with the outcome of their fourth match in the ONGC I-League match against Kolkata’s Chirag United SC here on Saturday.

Cooperage witnessed yet another ordinary match of ninety minutes and injury time, but the men in red trooped out with a favourable result, thanks to a fine finish by striker Surojit Roy after a well-directed throw-in from Uttam Kumar Singh.

Air India, with eight points, is a point behind Sporting Clube de Goa and Mumbai FC in the 12-team league.

The Kolkata side unfortunately saw its No. 1 goalkeeper Robikanta Singh Congtham leaving the scene of action, following a rough physical contact with an Air India player, ten minutes before the interval.

Substitute Arindham Ghosh was not up to the task; he failed to read the trajectory of the throw-in from Uttar Kumar and Roy deflected the ball in, mid-way through the second half — his third goal in four matches.

Chirag pressed hard in the last quarter. But, its earnest attempts came to naught as Air India goalkeeper Arup Debnath did not let his nerves crack even when Hardeep Singh, Snehashis Chakraborty and Gauranga Dutta fired solid shots.