Bagan held; Churchill shocked

Defending champions Mohun Bagan were held to a 2-2 draw by a resurgent JCT Mills, Phagwara, in the inaugural match of the fifth National Football League in Delhi on Thursday.

Basudeb Mondal, in the 46th minute, and Jose Baretto, 65th minute, twice gave Bagan the lead, before Hardip Gill (55th) and captain Ram Pal (73rd) could restore parity for JCT.

The 2-2 scoreline may give the impression that the match was keenly contested, but it was an ordinary match. The long lay-off meant that both teams were extremely rusty in the first half which went goalless. And, Mohun Bagan coach Subroto Bhatacharjee was spot on in his pre-match assessment when he observed that the players are not in their elements.

In another match, at the Nehru stadium in Margao, Goa, last year's runners-up and Goa Professional League champions Zee Churchill Brothers went down to newly-promoted state mates Vasco Sports Club by a solitary goal.

The all-important goal for Vasco came in the 78th minute through medio Kashimov Awazbek, who neatly headed home a Riston Rodriques cross from the right flank. The ball touched the Churchill goalkeeper's hand and found the net.

Vasco thus avenged the defeats suffered in the Governor's Cup final and the Professional league.

Churchill made a desperate attempt for the equaliser but all their attempts were foiled by a stouthearted defence of Seby Dias, Sanjay Parte, Daniel Coutinho, Agnelo Colaco and particularly their Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Solio, who put up a brilliant show.