Durand Cup: Neroca blank Shivajians to enter final
Source: The Sangai Express

New Delhi, September 09 2016: Neroca FC became the first team from the North East to reach the title clash of Asia's oldest football tournament on Friday after beating DSK Shivajians 3-0 .

"This football is your life and if it is, play like you are playing for your life and if you want to get rich," was the simple advice from Neroca FC coach Gift Raikhan to his boys at half time in the Durand Cup semifinal against DSK Shivajians here.

Leading by a solitary goal then, it clearly motivated the Manipur side to go all out for a winner after the break and register a comprehensive 3-0 win against the Pune side, becoming the first team from the North East in the process to reach the title clash of Asia's oldest football tournament on Friday.

Durand Cup: Neroca blank Shivajians to enter final

Shivajians coach Dave Rogers, meanwhile, would be going back wondering how it all unravelled for his team � favourites to lift the cup at the start � in the last few games.

The Pune side started well, though.

There was greater discipline and cohesion among the players and a plan of action visible in the way captain Juan Quero Barraso created openings up front.

The team kept switching flanks with long aerial passes but there was no accuracy in the attack.

Mohd Sajid Dhot marshalled the defence well and Irishman Shane McFurl provided able support.

Neroca, on the other hand, took time to settle down but once it did after the first 15-20 minutes, there was no let up on pressure from it.

With a line-up that included the likes of Govin Singh, Sushil Singh, Subhash Singh and Bisheshwor Singh, there was no dearth of experience and the senior players guided the rest brilliantly.

It took the lead in the 34th minute against the run of play, Sushil slotting home a penalty after Subhash was brought down by Rohit Kumar.

That goal, and perhaps the coach's exhortations, lifted the team's spirit and post break, Shivajians not just struggled to create chances but fluffed the ones it got and failed to find any combination among its wayward players as almost a dozen corner kicks went to waste.

Barraso was substituted midway through and his North Korean replacement Kim Song Yong hardly made things better.

He got an open chance but hit it wide, which was the story for Shivajians throughout the game.

Neroca, on the other hand, kept attacking in waves and a brilliant cross from Ashok Singh on the right in the 65th minute was chested by Anand Kumar Singh to an unmarked Malemnganba Singh, his long ranger shot landing in the back of the net.

There was no urgency from the Pune side, however, and by the time it finally pushed McFurl up to add sharpness to its attack, it was too late.

Arif Shaikh got a chance to reduce the margin in the 89th minute but hit over and Anand Kumar added insult to injury with a third goal seconds from time.

Result (semifinals): Neroca FC 3 (Sushil Kumar Singh, Malemnganba Meitei, Anand Kumar Singh) bt DSK Shivajians 0 .