Minnows Air India shocked defending champions Salgaocar 3-1 in what has to be the biggest upset in the I-League till date. Two quick goals from Manandip Singh almost put an end to Salgaocar’s chances in the match. But Sueoka Ryuji’s strike in the 35th minute kept alive hopes till Shafi Muhammed
scored Air India’s third goal and sealed a famous win in the 57th minute. Salgaocar now have three points from three matches while Air India opened their account with three points from Monday’s match.
In the second match of the day, United SC managed to salvage a appoint against Churchill Brothers riding Shankar Oraon’s 85 minute strike in their I-League match at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday. Lalrindka Ralte scored for Churchill in the early stages of the match.
United SC were not allowed any space to maneuver by a defensively better organised Churchill Brothers. United SC goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal’s untimely goof-up only added to their woes, letting through Ralte’s grounder from the edge of the goalline in the early stages. But had it not been defender Bello Rasaq giving up on trying to challenge Ralte after ND Opara backheeled the ball to him, Mondal wouldn’t have had to face the ignominy.
Oraon was introduced in the 76th minute. And it clicked for United SC. With five minutes to go for the end of first-half, Churchill custodian Felix D’souza fisted away Chinta Chandrasekhar Rao’s cross, only to find Oraon trapping it smartly and slotting it home.