MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
Team Herald
RAIA: Churchill Brothers FC finally broke their winless streak after a gap of six matches, when they defeated Delhi FC 2-0 in the 2023-24 I-League on their home turf, Tilak Maidan, Vasco on Tuesday.
A double strike by Nigerian Louis Ogana within 20 minutes after the start of the match fetched three points for the former champions, whose last victory came on December 10, 2023.
Displaying dominance right from the kickoff, Churchill Brothers took a commanding 2-0 lead in the opening session. The breakthrough came in the 12th minute when Louis Ugochukwo Ogana breached Delhi Football Club's defense, bypassing the goalkeeper to establish a 1-0 lead.
Later, in the 21th minute, a Delhi Football Club defender fouled Louis Ugochukwo Ogana in the penalty area, providing an opportunity for Churchill Brothers. Louis Ugochukwo Ogana capitalised on the penalty, extending their lead to 2-0.
Despite two chances for Delhi Football Club to score in the first session, with Serginho's shot grazing the left post in the 27th minute and H Dias missing an open goal in the 43rd minute, they trailed 2-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Delhi Football Club adopted an aggressive approach, attempting to narrow the deficit. However, missed opportunities plagued their efforts, with chances wasted in the 46th and 48th minutes. G Rawat's shot in the 58th minute also went off target.
The 63rd minute saw a critical moment when N Chandan, a defender for Churchill Brothers, saved the day with a header from Singh's corner kick. Despite several attempts by Delhi Football Club, including chances for Elhadji Karim, Stanley Fernandes, and Ajith Kumar, they were unable to convert.
Elhadji Karim's attempt in the 89th minute proved unsuccessful, and the two goals scored in the first session ultimately sealed the fate of the match, with Churchill Brothers Football Club emerging victorious with a final score of 2-0.
Churchill, who were in the not-too-comfortable 10th position before the match, have now risen by one place in the table with 17 points from 16 matches. Delhi FC suffered their third consecutive defeat to remain static at 22 points after playing 16 matches.
