10th Manipur State Football League 2015
NEROCA FC triumph over spirited FC Zalen; MPSC fails to overpower USA
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 14 2015: A determined NEROCA FC team came back from the jaws of defeat and scored two goals to triumph over a much spirited and organised FC Zalen.

Right after the kick off, FC Zalen who had already won a match against MPSC on the opening day of the league, took to the field with determination.

Looking determined and spirited, Zalen continued to raid NEROCA FC area quite frequently in the first half.

Their confidence paid off with Kh Jibon converting a precise corner kick from Seiboi Haokip into the match's first goal at the 7th minute.

NEROCA FC triumph over spirited FC Zalen

Much of the first half was more or less dominated by FC Zalen with precise passing and ball control.

Occasional attempts to invade the rival camp side by NEROCA FC failed miserably.

Even the much touted Nigerian striker Emeka Offor could not offer much hope to the desperate side.

NEROCA's initial 3-4-4 formation in the first half seemed to have gone awry with at least two top strikers waiting for the ball from the struggling rear side.

As the first half of the match ended, there was an air of despair for the NEROCA FC team while big cheers lauded FC Zalen already anticipating a narrow win.

In the second half of the match, NEROCA FC mates showed much sense of organisation and coordination.

Though the couple of chances by both the teams could not be converted into goals, NEROCA FC came back to form with a much better pace.

The effort paid off well when Ch Anandkumar slammed a beautiful goal after receiving a pass from Md Sohail in the 54th minute of the match.

This equalizer was a true morale booster for NEROCA FC.

After the team stood at 1-1, the fans of both the teams in the packed gallery seemed more or less reconciled with the expectation that the match would end in a draw.

However, the depleting strength of FC Zalen's centre and full back positions worked miracles for NEROCA FC.

Th Johnson who replaced Emeka hammered one more goal at the 92nd minute of the match.

Thus, a much spirited FC Zalen had to go home losing 2-1 .

In the first match of the day, the match between MPSC and United Sports Association (USA) ended in a draw despite commendable efforts from the strikers of both the teams.