JA District Level Mens' Football Championship : YPO Sora down SAO Kakching
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 10 2014:
YPO Sora dictated the proceedings of the match on either side of the two halves to carve out a commendable 2-0 win over SAO Kakching Wairi in a Group A match of the JA District Level Mens' Football Championship today.
Dictating the pace of the match and controlling the midfield and with better ball possession, YPO Sora players were all over the field, making repeated forays into the half side of SAO.
The free and flowing style of YPO Sora paid dividends in the 19th minute of the first half when Nurshafi rattled the net of SAO, Kakching Wairi.
The goal was a culmination of some fine passing and dribbling and the forward line of YPO managed to take the ball into the danger zone of SAO.
Nurshafi, who managed to shrug off his marker found himself well positioned to take a measured kick and beat the custodian of SAO with ease to help his team take an early lead.
SAO went all out for the equaliser, but the defence line of YPO stood firm, not yielding any space and denying the SAO forwards to have a good look at the goal.
Lemon break was taken with the team from Sora leading by a one goal lead.
After the break, SAO put more men on the attack and in their attempts to find the equaliser, left open gaps in the mid field and the defence.
It was against the run of play that YPO players took charge of the ball and managed to breach the defence line of SAO.
The ball went to an unmarked Ali Khan and he faced no hassles in netting the ball and increase the lead by two goals to nil.
The second goal was more than enough to seal the match in favour of YPO Sora.
The match saw some tough tacklings with Farid of YPO and Shushilkumar of SAO given the marching orders in the 54th minute after getting into a scuffle.
Farid was earlier cautioned in the 48th minute of the match.
Alikhan of YPO was cautioned in the 43rd minute while Rajkumar of SAO too was yellow carded in the 58th minute.
JA Kakching Makha Leikai edge past FSC Kakching Chumnung : In a Group B match of the tournament today, JA Kakching Makha Leikai overcame a fighting FSC, Kakching Chumnung by a margin of one goal to nil.
Evenly matched, both teams took the field warily, without really going all out.
It was however the opportunism of the JA Kakching Makha Leikai team that sealed the match in their favour.
Sarankumar capitalised on a defensive lapse of FSC Kakching Chumnung in the 29th minute of the match to disturb the net of FSC, Kakching Chumnung.
The goal came off a fine move down the flank, with a player of JA Kakching unleashing a well measured cross.
Sarankumar who was lurking nearby rose to the occasion to take possession of the ball and after creating enough space for himself unleashed a powerful shot that was bang on target.
All efforts by FSC to find the equaliser came to nought.
Binodkumar of JA was cautioned in the 54th minute of the match while Indranath of FSC too was cautioned in the 40th minute.