FC Kochin down Air India

S Ayyappa Swamy

FC Kochin made their second trip to Bombay a profitable one when they humbled Air-India 2-1 in a fifth National Football League tie at the Cooperage on Tuesday.

This victory their record unbeaten run to 13 and took them to 29 points.

A cocky Air-India coach Bimal Ghosh was made to eat humble pie as his side lost a few friends and made a few hundred enemies with their immature attitude and temperament.

Liberian power was in full view, as first Eugene Gray struck in the 25th minute and then set up for striker Aaron Cole in the 59th minute. Both goals were headers, with goalkeeper Mohd. Yusuf Ansari having nary a chance to come anywhere close to the ball.

Air-India were gifted a penalty by Goan referee Goculdas Nagvekar when he pointed to the spot after Dinesh Nair had snatched the ball from Bungo Singh from a fair tackle. Medio Tapon Ghosh coolly slotted home to the left of goalkeeper Sunday Seah.

Nagvekar had an offday, coming up with some piquant decisions. Had he yellow-carded a few players from either side, the situation would well have been under control. He shockingly overlooked Air-India's Khalid Jamil punching Rashidi Williams on the face and strangely showed a yellow card to Dinesh Nair for a debatable foul on Jamil.

Air-India had the game fare and well in control in the first half. Playing downwind, they moved with the breeze and held 80 per cent ball possession. However, they could never translate their superiority into goals as Godfred Pereira and Anthony Fernandes fumbled in the penalty area. They also tried some fancy things in the midfield that saw Kochin taking possession of the ball.

The frustration increased when Kochin got the lead when striker Hemanathan, dribbled past the dependable defender Arun Malhotra, and lobbed for Eugene Gray who sent a perfect header past goalkeeper Ansari.

Air-India, who are on 13 points, were still in the game but what started as a midfield off-the-ball tussle between Godfred Pereira and Kochin's Suresh spread like a epidemic, with feet and hands moving rather freely. Kochin goalkeeper Seah should have been awarded an Oscar for rolling on the ground after Hebert Philip had moved past him. Surely, Seah deserved a yellow card for time-wasting.

In the second half too, Air-India had a couple of chances but Kochin defender and international Jo Paul Ancheri chested two powerful shots by Bungo Singh to make the run for the title an interesting one.

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East Bengal on top for second week - Summary of Round 8
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