Seven Sisters Love Football: December 2010

East Bengal lead league table with win over Salgaocar

Kolkata, Dec 23 (IANS) Lethal striker Tolgay Ozbey struck the winner as Federation Cup winners East Bengal moved to the top of the I-League charts with a solitary goal victory over Goa's Salgaocar Sports Club here Wednesday.

After a goalless first half, Tolgay let go a right footer on target in the 59th minute, enabling the city giants keep intact their all win record in the fancied football league.

After five rounds, East Bengal are on 15 points, while Salgaocar - who lost their first points in the tourney - stayed on 12.

Salgaocar matched East Bengal in the opening half with their upfronters led by veteran Ghanaian Yusif Yakubu repeatedly troubling the local side's rear guard.

Japanese Ryuiji Sueoka muffed up a golden opportunity midway into the first season, much to the relief of the East Bengal supporters at the Salt Lake stadium.

East Bengal looked a transformed side in the second session, as they controlled the proceedings and their hard work was rewarded when Robin Singh's centre was put into the net by Tolgay.

Dispur FC & Veteran win

prize-money soccer

Guwahati, Dec. 22 : Dispur Football Club and Combined Veteran posted wins in the Madhabi Gogoi and Chandra Ram Kakoti memorial prize-money football tournament at the College of Veterinary Sciences ground here today.

Dispur FC defeated Satgaon Jubak Sangha (Cant Blue) 2-0. Kuldeep and Bela Hmar netted a goal each.

In the second match, Combined Veteran (Meghalaya) blanked Satgaon Rhino Club 6-0. Rocky Singh and Thandow Singh scored a brace each while Boy Singh scored a goal.

An own goal off a defender added to Satgaon’s woes.

Tomorrow, Abhiruchi Institute will meet Khanapara Marbiang Youth Club at 2.30pm.

Southern outshine Eleven Star

Churchand Soccer

Imphal, Dec. 15 : Southern Sporting Union sailed into the quarter-final with a 3-1 goal victory against Eleven Star Sporting Union in the 54th Sir Churchand Singh KCSI, CBE Memorial Football Tournament, 2010, played at Mapal Kangjeibung.

In another match, Kuki Sporting Club overcame Youth Welfare Club with a solitary goal win to enter the quarter-final.

Southern Sporting scored their first goal in the second half when skipper S. Santa, shot home from the goalmouth in the 51st minute.

The team made further inroads with L. Gogocha’s goal in the 65th minute and sealed the match in their favour with T. Raju’s goal from a corner kick in the 85th minute. Eleven Star forward Ch. Risk scored the lone goal for the team in the 83rd minute.

The match between Kuki Sporting Club and Youth Welfare Club was dull as both teams wasted opportunities.

Kuki Sporting Club managed their only goal taking advantage of poor judgement by the Youth Welfare Club keeper.

From a long clearance, the lanky Thenlal Lhungdim made the most of the confusion between Youth Welfare goalkeeper and defender and scored from a easy header in the 79th minute.

Seiminlal Haokip and Thangminlal Gangte of Kuki Sporting and Suresh Rai of Youth Welfare earned yellow cards in the game.

Anouba thrash United

NISA and Manipur police secure berths in pre-quaterfinals

Churchand soccer

NISA (in blue) and Sagolband United palyers in action at Khuman Lampak main stadium in Imphal on Monday. Telegraph picture

Imphal, Dec. 14 : Anouba Imagi Mangal routed United Brothers Sporting Association by 8-1 goals to book a pre-quarterfinal berth in the 54th Sir Churchand Singh KCSI, CBE Memorial Football Tournament 2010 played at Khuman Lampak main stadium today.

NISA and Manipur Police Sports Club also made it to the pre-quarterfinal with their respective wins.

United Brothers Sporting Association proved to be an easy prey for their giant counterparts, who dominated through the match.

The United Brothers team which forayed into the final round from the preliminary qualifying round, managed to hold Anouba Imagi team briefly in the first-half until Th. Roshan Singh scored the first goal in the 25th minute off a throw by L. Chandramani.

Chandramani Singh was instrumental in another goal for Anouba Imagi Mangal as his long throw was converted to a goal by L. Dewan’s header in the 30th minute of play.

Anouba Imagi sealed the match in their favour as L. Gouro and Th. Santosh Singh scored in the 36th and 40th minutes respectively.

United Brothers managed to score their only goal when S. Sonneingir Kom found the net after collecting the ball from Lalneidik Hmar in the 42nd minute. Just before the first-half whistle, Anouba Imagi increased their tally as L. Gouro scored off a pass from Kh. Noaton to lead by 5-1 goals. L. Gouro added two more goals in the 55th and 84th minutes and Thomas Zimik fetched Anouba Imagi Mangal the eighth goal in the 88th minute for the victory today. Ng. Rabi and W. Ngouba received a yellow card each.

NISA also come up with three-goal victory against Sagolband United with N. Jimmy, W. Daniel and L. Nabachandra providing the goals for North Imphal Sporting Association.

In another match, Manipur Police Sports Club defeated Eastern Sporting Union by 5-1 goals. Hemkhousuon Touthang struck twice while M. Somochandra, Thangminlian, I. Nilakumar fetched a goal each. The lone goal for Eastern was scored by N. Rakesh.

Powermen lift trophy

Jilendra Brahma adjudged Best Player

The ASEB SC team with the winners’ trophy in Moran on Tuesday.

Dibrugarh, Dec 8: Assam State Electricity Board Sports Club defeated Oil India Football Club by a 1-0 margin to clinch the 4th OIL-Moran Challenge Invitational Prize Money Football Tournament, the final of which was played at the Moran Oilfields playground today.

After a tense 90 minutes of play, the match went on to extra time during which ASEB-SC scored to win the match.

ASEB-SC’s pacy striker Jilendra Brahma scored the goal through a powerful shot, capitalising upon a corner kick by substitute Sanjoy Bora 15 minutes into extra time. Jilendra was adjudged the Best Player of the final.

In comparison, OIL strikers Manas Manjit Chetia and Jayanta Basumatary were somewhat off-colour today and missed out on a few chances.

OIL’s midfielders Zoidin Hmar and the experienced H.L. Ruata could not perform upto expectations and frustrated hundreds of spectators who had poured in to witness the match.

“I have come from Dibrugarh to watch an exciting game of football between two of the best teams of the state. But, both the teams could not perform well today which frustrated me,” Dipak Saikia, a spectator, said.

In all it was a sweet revenge for the powermen who had lost to Oil India FC last year.

The referee cautioned Zoidin, Birjab Mushahary of Oil India FC and Sanjoy Bora of ASEB-SC for rough play.

B.C. Dutta, the head of Moran Oilfields, gave away the champion’s trophy. In all eight teams were invited to take part in the tournament this year.

Inter-school meet kicks off in Imphal

Imphal, Dec 6: The third Inter-school meet organised by the Department of Education of Manipur kicked off on Sunday.

The meet began with the idea of developing a kind of fellow feeling, integration and unity among students of the state.

"This school meet-2010's main objective is to inculcate essence of integrity among school going students and to expose the youth to different opportunities and avenues of growth," said T. Ranjit Singh, Director, Education Department.

He also said that such meets could also bring about a change in the thinking of the people and help in restoring the law and order situation of the state.

"There is sometimes ill feeling between one community and another community of the state, because don't share their views. So, by holding this school meet, an opportunity has been given to all of them to be a part of Manipur," he added.

Students looked cheerful, happy and all braced up to participate in the meet.

"It is nice to meet all brothers and sisters and have fellowships like meeting each other and having sports and all this, it is nice to be here," said Lucy, a student.

There are around 600 participants joining the meet from different districts of the state.

The meet would hold sports events like football, wrestling, athletics, badminton and marathon.

Many non-sporting and non-competitive events like elocution, quiz, painting, cultural shows, symposium etc, would also form part it.

The four-day event concludes on December 8.

Chirag United pip AIFF thanks to Junior brace

Kolkata: Debutants AIFF XI dished out a spirited display but Chirag United rode on a brace by Elijah Junior to register a 2-1 win over them as the I-League 2010-11 got off to a low-key start at an empty Salt Lake Stadium on Friday.

Man-of-the-match Junior struck in the 3rd and 42nd minutes, while AIFF XI scored through Lalrindika Ralte who caught the eyes with a brilliant 21st minute strike.

There were no spectators in sight and there was not even a banner of the premier domestic tournament that ran into its fourth edition as the sprawling stadium wore a deserted look.

Even the power connection was switch off till it was restored at halftime. But on the field, Chirag showed some urgency.

With Junior and Johsimar upfront, the home outfit utilised the first opportunity they got as the former put them ahead 1-0 in what appeared an easy chance.

With no defender in sight, a long ball from the mid-field was capitalised by Joshimar in the right and the Brazilian gave a cross pass to Junior who tapped the ball home with a straight rightfooter.

The goal notwithstanding, AIFF XI players, who filled in the void left by disbanded Mahindra United, did not give their experienced opponents an easy outing in the middle.

There were no spectators to cheer them but Lalrindika's beautiful 30-yard shot that brought in the equaliser for AIFF was enough to send a message to the hosts' camp.

A curling shot from the diminutive player was beyond the reach of Chirag's experienced custodian Abhijit Mondal who dived to his right but only to see the ball fly into the net.

Seven minutes after scoring the spectacular goal, Lalrindika produced another eye-popper from a freekick but the shot hit the Chirag left post.

Lalrindika's brilliance lasted 31 minutes as the medio pulled a muscle to be replaced by Tirthankar Sarkar.

Chirag snatched the lead just before the half-time with their forward duo again coming to their rescue.

AIFF's Vishal Kumar failed to hold on to the ball misjudging the bounce on the artificial surface as Joshimar capitalised on it before Junior converted it easily.

The second-half saw lacklustre display from both the teams with some half-hearted attempts by Chirag United.

In the 88th minute, Joshimar fired one inside but only to be ruled off-side by referee P K Bose and the Brazilian was handed a yellow card.

In the dying moments, Raju Gaikwad almost brought on the equaliser for AIFF XI but the experienced former Dempo goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal saved Chirag the blushes with a fine goalline save as the debutants impressed on day one though ended at the losing side.