Sport - Football

Churchill beats Sporting

KOLKATA: Odafe Okolie produced the match-clincher for Churchill Brothers against Mohammedan Sporting in a 10th round match of the ONGC I-League football at the Salt Lake Stadium, here on Sunday.

His 70th-minute opportunistic strike left the home side rue a number of missed chances in the match.

The victory enabled Churchill to break a sequence of three draws and a loss in the last five rounds. The win also lifted it to 17 points from four victories, five draws and a loss.

For the home side, it was yet another so near yet so far story. With one more round to go for the first round of the double round-robin league, Mohammedan Sporting languishes at the 11th place with nine points.

Khemtang Paite’s long lob into the penalty box drew Mohammedan Sporting goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar out of charge and winger Bineesh Balan hit the post in a hurry. Luckily for the visiting team, the ball rebounded into play and Odafe made sure he scored his 11th goal of the tournament.

Despite misses from Theodore Wrobeh and Mike Okoro in the first half which the home side dominated, the break made Churchill rearrange its priorities and attack with verve.

The home side still would have earned a draw but for substitute Vimal Pariayar’s feeble shot that went straight to rival goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya. — Special Correspondent

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