Agencies

KOLKATA: Ranty Martins took his unmatched goal-scoring record in I-League another step ahead, scoring five for his new team Prayag United SC, which pummelled United Sikkim FC 10-1 to record the second biggest win of I-League, at Salt Lake Stadium, here, Saturday.

text-align: justify;">Looking to gain the advantage early on, Prayag United exerted pressure and surged ahead in the second minute when Ranty volleyed home a cross from left winger CK Vineeth. Sikkim equalized when Nima Tamag’s grounder beat the rival goal keeper.

Ranty and his Costa Rican colleague Carlos Hernandes shared the next four goals in the first half to have Prayag United leading 5-1 at half time.

Ranti made it 2-1 in the 16^th minute off a Carlos corner while Carlos unleashed a powerful left-footer to make it 3-1 in the 22^nd minute. The Costa Rican World Cupper followed it up with a neat lob in the 35^th minute to make it 4-1 before Ranty scored again in the 39^th minute guiding home a S Malswamtluanga cross.

There was brief pause in the scoring process after the break but Prayag United picked up the momentum again as Malswamtluanga found the Sikkim net following a nice set-up by Ranty in the 71^st minute. The home side kept up the relentless attack and found the goal again when Ranty scored off a Malswamtluanga pass. Ranty completed his tally of five goals in the 79^th minute when he found the net off a pass from midfielder Lalkamal Bhowmik.

Substitute Mohammad Rafiq, who came in for Calros Hernandes, made it 9-1 in the injury time before the Sikkim’s Costa Rican defender Michael Steven Rodriguez sealed the scoring process with a self goal as he tried to clear a cross from Vineeth.