Mohun Bagan trounce Air India

S Ayyappa Swamy

Air-India goalkeeper Mohd. Yusuf Ansari chose this particular day to come off with his worst performance. And a shaky goalkeeper's attitude is easily reflected on the defence, first, and then, the entire defence.

It happened to Air-India on Friday, at the Cooperage, in Bombay, as they lost 0-3 to defending champions Mohun Bagan, with R C Prakash registering the first hat-trick of the fifth National Football League. The striker, in the process, took his goal tally to seven, the highest so far with the halfway mark round the corner.

Ansari went for the man, Prakash, rather than collecting the ball off a an innocuous Flavio Lopes header. He missed both and the ball rolled into the goal. Referee K Shankar felt Prakash had got a touch and he awarded the goal to this prolific scorer, who has been called to the India camp for the pre-World Cup probables.

Apart from Arun Malhotra, in the defence, no other Air-India player managed to keep a cool head as even experienced players, like Khalid Jamil and Godfred Pereira, who came in late in the second half, frittered away chances.

Jamil's was the final straw that broke the camel's back, as his penalty, awarded on the dot of time after James Singh fould Tomba Singh inside the Mohun Bagan box, was parried away brilliantly by goalkeeper Rajat Ghosh Dastidar.

Did Mohun Bagan miss Brazilian Jose Barretto, who had to sit out with two yellow cards? Coach Subroto Bhattacharjee certainly didn't think so. In fact, the other Brazilian, Lopes, playing only his third match, proved quite a handful. Though he is a left-footed player and missed two absolute sitters because of this, the tall Lopes's presence made all the difference for the dimunitive R C Prakash to get his goals.

The second goal was a beauty. Tall stopper back M Suresh sent a wonderful through from his own half. Prakash ran about 10 yards and, watching Ansari rushing his charge, chipped the ball over him for a clinical finish.

Prakash himself had a hand in setting up the third goal. Again off a counter-attack. With Air-India pressing hard, trying to make the best of the favourable wind conditions, he tapped the ball from an awkard position towards James Singh, on the right, after receiving it from Amar Ganguly. James took a crack at the goal and the ball was parried away by Yusuf, only for Prakash to tap home the rebound.

To expect Air-India to stage another fightback as they did against JCT in their last match, which they won 4-3 after being down 1-3, was too much. For, the Calcutta giants are good finishers after taking the lead.

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Mohun Bagan well-placed after five rounds
Air India, Mahindra in a spot - Summary of Round 6
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East Bengal on top for second week - Summary of Round 8
Three in close race - Summary of Round 9