Kochi: Shillong Lajong made a mockery of old war-horses Salgaocar with a 4-0 victory in the Group ‘C’ opener at the Federation Cup football championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Wednesday.
Shillong gave a perfect account of counter-attacking football, and with a disciplined back-line to compound their attacking prowess, the north-easterners showed they are serious contenders for the title.
In contrast, Salgaocar were not the evergreen class of Goan football who won the Cup four times. They were, instead, a faded memory of their prime.
Shillong sat deep while Salgaocar pressed in vain. Their Scott striker Darryl Duffy was marked and attempts to plough through the middle were smothered by two defensive midfielders.
It was against the run of play that Shillong scored when Seikhohao Tuboi beat the tall Goan defenders in air to meet a perfect deep cross from Taisuke Matsugae.
Glen Cornell made a graceful entry into the game when he dragged a couple of Salgaocar defenders and waited for the opportune moment to cross to his arriving wing-back Redeem Tlang to tap in their second in 37th minute.
Shillong began the second period with a flourish. Glen hit the woodwork after playing himself onside just two minutes into the half.
Shillong didn’t have to wait too long as Taisuke accelerated with the ball from around 30 yards out, and found space to fill and got their third just two minutes later. Glen went for glory, scoring just after the hour-mark.
Gutsy BFC beat backs Sporting challenge
Gutsy BFC beat backs Sporting challenge
Bangalore: Substitute Robin Singh’s second half double helped I-League leaders BengaÂlÂuru FC pull off an exciting 5-3 victory while fending off the late scare by SpoÂrting Clube de Goa and start their Federation Cup campaign on a winning note in their Group ‘B’ match here on Wednesday.
The Bengaluru team looked like cruising to a dominating win as they took 4-0 lead in 66 minutes but Sporting fought back brilliantly with three quick goals to give some neÂrvous moments for SuÂnÂil Chhetri’s men at the end.
The result may well have been a different, if Sporting striker Boima Karpeh had not wasted the penalty awarded for them in the 57th minute.
BFC started confidently with some intelligent moves and they were able to score three times in sporadic, but highly-effective attacks in the first half.
Their captain Chhetri starred with a goal and an assist while their forward Beikhokhei scored a double to end the first half with a dominating score-line.
The opening goal came in the fifth minute when Ravi Kumar, the Goan custodian, fumbled in front of an unexpected run by Beikhokhei.
In the 33rd minute, receiving a long pass from Meyongar, Rino Anto sent a well-placed cross to Chhetri from the right wing and the Indian striker finished it in style with a perfect header for a 2-0 lead.
Before the first half whistle, Beikhokhei scoÂred again, this time with an assist from the captain.
Despite the flurry fo goals by BFC, the Goans enjoyed most of the possession but the Bengaluru defenders were too good to the task.
Defenders John Johnson and Osano gave no space to the Sporting forwards and their striker Boima Karpeh found it difficult to pierce through their sturdy defending.
The Goans pressed harder in the second half and finally Osano succumbed to the pressure as he fouled Victorino FernaÂndes in the box to gift a penalty to Sporting. But Karpeh’s, power-packed shot hit the woodwork.
Ten minutes later, Robin did a solo run and dribbled past the advancing Goan goalie to give a remarkable four-goal lead for the Bengaluru team. But that was when Sporting hit back with a vengeance.
Their much-awaited goal came in the 74th minute, as Karpeh found the net after several unsuccessful chances. But their dreams of a heroic comeback were spoiled by Robin
Singh’s 83rd-minute strike. When it seemed like a rout, Beevan D’Mello and Victorino Fernandes’ last minute goals gave a dramatic twist and a spirited ending for about 10,000 spectators who had thronged the stadium.
Results: Shillong Lajong FC 4 (Seikhohao Tuboi 17, Redeem Tlang 37, Taisuke Matsugae 46, Glen Cornell 63) bt Salgaocar 0; Bengaluru FC 5 (Beikhokhei 5, 40, Sunil Chhetri 33, Robin Singh 66, 90+3) bt Sporting Clube de Goa 3 (Boima Karpeh 74, Beevan Mello 89, Victorino 90+1)
