Agencies
NEW DELHI: Luck was impartial on Saturday (March 23, 2013) in a 21st round I-League football encounter between ONGC and Churchill Brothers at Ambedkar Stadium, here, Saturday.
Two deflected goals – a Steven Dias effort in the 47th minute and Roberto Mendes Silva (Beto) own-goal in the 60th minute – summed up a tie full of missed chances. Courtesy the 1-1 result, Churchill now have 43 points from 20 matches and stay on top of the table while ONGC remain sixth with 28 points.
The visitors created many chances in the opening exchanges. In the seventh minute, Henri Antchouet side netted after rounding off ONGC goalkeeper Rehenesh. Few minutes later, the Nigerian’s powerful header off former India international Steven Dias’s flag-kick went wide.
The hosts got their first real chance in the 26th minute when a Yusa Katsumi free-kick saw Jatin Bisht head wide. Bisht tried his luck once again in the 35th minute after being set up by Sachin Gawas on top of the box. But his effort failed to get the past Rehenesh.
Post breather, ONGC paid the price for some porous defending from a set piece inside the box. Steven Dias exchanged passes with Denzil Franco after taking a short corner, and it was his shot that deflected into the goal.
The Goan outfit were unlucky to concede the equalizer at the hour mark. Yusa Katsumi’s corner ricocheted off Beto’s thigh to enter his own goal.
Wahid Sali though saved Kashyap’s wards the blushes by being at the right place at the right time. Sunil Chhetri’s sweetly timed half volley from inside the box came off Sali’s face in the 74th minute. The Indian captain was not done yet. His left-footer in the 83rd minute flew inches wide.
Meanwhile, in Gangtok, Prayag United SC registered a narrow 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened United Sikkim at Paljor Stadium, Saturday through a 25th minute goal from Ranti Martins.
In Kalyani, Henry Ezeh earned a point for Air India making the most of a defensive lapse to score the equalizer in the injury time of the second half and made sure that the 21st round match of the I-League football ended 1-1 at Kalyani Stadium, Saturday. Earlier, East Bengal took the lead in the 60th minute off Nigerian Edeh Chidi.
