NISA win after scare

Team leads tally with 27 points after first leg of tourney

Manipur League

Not a fall guy: H. Premkumar of Manipur Brothers leaps over Ksh. Malemnganba of NISA at Mapal Kangjeibung on Friday. Telegraph picture Imphal, Nov. 27: Manipur Brothers Sporting Union (MBSU) went down fighting 2-3 to North Imphal Sporting Association (NISA) in the last match of the first leg of the 4th Manipur State League 2009 played at Mapal Kangjeibung here on Friday. After the first leg NISA led the table with 27 points, followed by Tiddim Road Athletic Union with 22 and Southern Sporting Union on 20. The second leg matches are likely to start on the completion the 53rd Sir Churchand Singh Memorial Football Tournament. Today’s match between NISA and Manipur Brothers Sporting Union lacked intensity and urgency with the North Imphal side taking time to settle down. The team, however, got its act together and scored the lead in the 34th minute of play from a corner kick with a leaping S. Johnson finding the net. The North Imphal team, which frequented its rival territory at will, got their second goal through N. Rajesh Meitei in the 38th minute to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. Manipur Brothers Sporting Union did have their moments, but most of their forays fizzled out as they lacked co-ordination up front. In the second half, North Imphal further consolidated their lead by netting another goal in the 72nd minute. Th. Santosh ruffled the net for the 3-0 lead. Manipur Brothers, now desperate for a break, gave North Imphal a scare as they pumped in two goals in the dying moments. However, their efforts came too late and they failed to salvage the match. In the 80th minute, a goalmouth melee saw M. Romi Singh finding the net on his second attempt and in the 88th minute L. Boipu converted a penalty awarded for a handball inside the box. NISA, however, had the last laugh.

NISA qualify for Federation Cup final round qualifiers

Duliajan (Assam), Nov 22 : North Imphal Sporting Association (NISA) defeated Arhima Club of Meghalaya 2-1 in the extra-time to emerge champions in Group D (North-East Zone) knock-out phase and make it to the next round of Federation Cup football qualifiers here.

Arhima defenders gave NISA a tough fight in the first half till in the 44th minute when Mani Mohan Singh scored to give the lead for the Imphal club.

Down 0-1, the Meghalaya side tried their best to bring the match on an even keel and their efforts bore fruit when Stevenfield Lenong scored the equaliser in the 77th minute.

The 1-1 stalemate prevailed in the full time and it was in the eighth minute of the extra time that NISA converted a penalty to settle the issue.

Thomas Singh converted the penalty after an Arhima defender handled the ball.

Nagaland Police in semifinals

 

Seven times champions Nagaland Police entered the semifinals of the 18th Kohima Royal Gold Cup today.

Nagaland Police blanked Kuki Football Club 2-0 in the  tournament opener today, played at the local ground, Kohima.

Policemen striker Asa netted the first goal in the 12th minute of the first half. Ninja made it 2-0 for the Nagaland cops striking in injury time of the second half.

Earlier in the 56th minute Tiasunep of Nagaland Police was awarded a yellow card for unsporting behavior by the referee.

Earlier the tournament was formally declared opened by the Nagaland Football Association President P. Atuo Mezhur.

In his address Mr. Atuo announced that the Nagaland FA would be conducting a state football league fro

10- men Churchill trounce Chirag 2-0, climb to top

MARGAO: True to their reputation, defending champions Churchill Brothers stopped Chirag United Kolkata's unbeaten run with a hard fought 2-0 win in their 8th round ONGC I - League Football championship match at the Nehru stadium at Fatorda on Friday.

Churchill goals came through Ogba Kalu in the sixth minute and Odafe Okolie in the 65th minute.

Such was a dominance of Churchill brothers in both the halves on Friday and they could have romped home with much bigger margin had they utilised the chances before them.

Churchill, with this win, climb at the top of the ladder with 16 points from 8 outings with 4 wins and 4 draws. While Chirag United remained on same 15 points with 4 wins, 3 draws and a first defeat.

Starting at full steam, Churchill drew first blood as early as in the 6th minute of the first half through Kalu Ogba, whose header found the net following a good pass from Khanthang Paite.

The home team had another good chance to increase the lead in the 10th minute when Khanthang Paite initiated a move and sent an aerial pass to Felix, whose header missed the mark.

Soon after, Chirag came with a good move when Jayanta Sen iintiated a move and pass to Lalawmpuia, who moved the ball to Subroto Roy but he switched over the ball to better placed Gouranga Dutta, who failed to connect.

In the 52nd minute, Churchill were reduced to ten men when referee Mohd Kamil flashed a red card to Nascimento Silveira for hitting on the face of Chirag’s Jayant Sen.

Churchill consolidated their lead in the 65th minute through Odafe who foxed the Chirag defence well to unleash a right footer which found the net to make it 2-0.
Churchill had another chance to increase the lead five minutes before the long whistle but Paite wasted an easy chance a pass from Odafe.

Manipur lift T Ao football crown

DIMAPUR: Favourites Manipur lifted the inaugural Dr T Ao Football Trophy after defeating hosts Nagaland 2-0 in the final at DDSC stadium on Thursday.

Ngoubo Singh put Manipur ahead in the 27 minute when he found the net from a free kick. In the 52nd minute, Manipur captain Nilakumar scored the second goal for the winners.

The result was disappointing for the home crowd, who had gathered at the Dimapur District Sports Council (DDSC) stadium.

Manipur earned Rs seven lakh as prize money while the runners-up got Rs four lakh. The tournament witnessed participation from all the eight NE states.

Tripura, riding on Kiron Chattri's hat-trick had clinched the third place after defeating Meghalaya 3-0 on Wednesday.

Kiron was also the top scorer of the tournament with 14 goals while Manipur striker Malemnganba Metei scored eight and Nagaland's Sakutemjen scored seven goals.

The tournament was named after legendary Naga footballer Dr Talimeren Ao.

Nagaland governor Nikhil Kumar and chief minister Neiphiu Rio and Meghalaya deputy chief minister BM Lanong gave away prizes to the winning teams and individual players.

Dr Ao, who led the independent India's football squad in 1948 London Olympics, played for Mohan Bagun from 1942 to 1949 while studying at Kar Medical College, Kolkata.

The barefoot Olympian who captained the Bagan XI during 1947-49, was first Naga MBBS and retired as the state director of health and medical services.

East Bengal in Abel hands

Abel Hammond (left) celebrates with Yusif Yakubu at the Barasat Stadium on Thursday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: As promised by new coach Phillippe de Ridder, there weren’t any miracles in East Bengal’s I-League match against Lajong FC at the Barasat Stadium on Thursday. There were some surprises though, like in-form Abel Hammond sitting on the bench or Beikhokhei Singh and Mehtab Hossain at the centre of the park or Srecko Mitrovic as a wide man on the right.

And the end result was a satisfying 3-0 victory, which was enough for the spectators to go into a party mood. There were flares in the stands, chants at the aisles and beaming faces and warm hugs in the dressing room. Three wins on the trot and the turnaround from the abyss of October 25 is happening.

Hammond, who came in place of a limping Bhaichung Bhutia in the 25th minute put the hosts ahead 10 minutes before half-time. The second came late, Hammond again in the 90 th minute and the third one was in the injury-time through Yusif Yakubu.

East Bengal on Thursday looked good except for an odd 20-minute in the second half when Lajong were all over the red and gold brigade. At that time, the scoreline was 1-0 and an equaliser would have changed the very complexion of the game.

Take this one for example. Marlanki Suiting, after running Nirmal Chetri ragged, had only Abhijit Ghosh to beat. Probably in the excitement of scoring a goal the young defender volleyed over. There were some more close shaves for the East Bengal defence but in the end, the inexperienced Lajong players failed to make it count.

Agreed that Beikhokhei and Mehtab were in their elements on the day but the man who stole the show was central defender Uga Okpara.

Not only did his presence gave the Mehrajuddin Wadoos and Chetris the much-needed confidence, his guidance also helped the young goalkeeper Abhijit Ghosh to have a relatively good day in office. Just the other day new goalkeeper coach Atanu Bhattacharya was saying how important it would be for a rookie goalkeeper to have a confident back-four. It seems that in Okpara, East Bengal may have found an answer to the defence riddle. Once in the first-half, when S Tuboi was all set to bang it home, Okpara came from nowhere and lunged himself to avert the danger.

Now about the goals.

Syed Rahim Nabi freed Hammond on the left and no Lajong defender bothered to close him down, the Ghanaian volleyed home past an onrushing Gumpe Rime. A brilliant build-up, which was executed with great flamboyance.

The second came when Lajong had parked themselves on the rival half for that elusive equaliser. Wailadmi Passah made a mess of a loose ball and Hammond who was lurking nearby went all the way into the Lajong territory and stabbed it home. The third came within a minute. Substitute Subhas Singh’s pass found Yakubu, whose volley crashed into the far corner beating Gumpe all ends up.

This was East Bengal’s biggest win in the ongoing I-League and with the league taking a break till early January, this would provide De Ridder with ample time to prepare for the next round of matches.

TEAMS

East Bengal: Avijit Ghosh; Nirmal Chhetri (Subhas Singh, 67), Uga Okpara, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Govin Singh, Srecko Mitrovic (Alvito D’Cunha, 53), Mehtab Hossain, B Beikhokhei, Syed Rahim Nabi, Bhaichung Bhutia (Abel Hammond, 25), Yusif Yakubu.

Lajong: Gumpe Rime, Michael Bassey (Ronald Zothanzama, 82), Waildami Passah, Zohmingliana Ralte, Marlanki Suting, Niwan Gatpoh, Samson Ramengmawia, Daniel Bidemi (Anil Gurung, 57), Boithang Haokip (Laldingliana Khiangte, 78), Seikhohau Tuboi, James Gbilee.

Referee: Dinesh Nair

MoM: Uga Okpara

Tripura beats Meghalaya for third place