Date:12/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/12/stories/2008121255961800.htm

Sport - Football

JCT Mills surprises Sporting Clube

Principal Correspondent

BARASAT: JCT Mills Phagwara sprung a surprise, beating current I-League leader Sporting Clube de Goa by two first-session goals in the opening Group ‘C’ league match of the 30th Federation Cup football here at the Vidyasagar Stadium on Thursday.

In the other match of the same group, local giant East Bengal defeated qualifier New Delhi Heroes through two second session goals.

JCT shot into the lead midway through the first session when Balwant Singh nodded home a Julius Akpele side volley.

With the JCT midfield looking unsure, the Nigerian defender did well moving up to assist the team attack. Akpele figured prominently in JCT’s second goal also, as his long cross set up the Brazilian striker Eduardo Da Silva unmarked inside the Sporting Clube box.

The latter took a cracking drive that left the Sporting Clube custodian Felix D’Souza no chance to save.

The second session saw JCT preserving its two-goal cushion. Despite this, JCT came close to scoring twice when its striker Eduardo found himself clear in the striking zone.

His first attempt in the 49th minute was saved by D’Souza while the next, seven minutes later, sailed over. Sporting Club woke up late and got its first good look at the JCT goal in 83rd minute. But Wilton Gomes wasted the opportunity sending his attempt wide.

Good start

In the other match, East Bengal created a few good openings in the first session against the rookie opponent, but the efforts went in vain with the forwards — Sunil Chetri and Ghanaian Yusif Yakubu — not finding the net.

The second session started on a bright note with the home side getting the lead in the very first minute when Chetri converted a neat pass from Yakubu.

Alvito D’Cunha, making his way back into the team after a long lay-off with injury, got his name on the scorers’ list, tapping home a 83rd minute back-pass from Chetri.