By IANS
Margao : Mboyo Iyomi’s precision and Odafe Okolie’s pace was too hot for new comers Viva Kerala as home team Churchill Brothers made short-work of the debutants 5-0 in a seventh round clash of the I-League, at Nehru Stadium here Sunday.
Churchill’s foreign recruits were in immaculate form as the duo wrecked Viva Kerala’s defence.
Man of the Match Mboyo and Okolie struck a brace each while Robert Lalthamba also added his names to the score sheet.
The win enabled Churchill (13 points) stay within touching distance of league leaders Dempo Sports Club (17 points) and JCT (15 points) at the end of the seventh round.
Churchill Bros led 1-0 at the breather.
Without Ghanaian striker Wisdon Abbey and playing away from home, Viva Kerala always had a mountain to climb in Goa. But, the South Indian team were the first to have a clear look at the rival goal.
A long clearance by Khelemba Singh saw Baba Tunde get hold of the ball just outside the Churchill danger zone, but the Nigerian striker delayed in releasing the ball as an ever-alert Gourmangi Singh dispossessed him with relative ease.
Once Churchill got over their early nerves and settled down, a goal seemed imminent.
Kerala goalkeeper A.V. Nelson came up with two good saves to deny Okolie inside 10 minutes, but he had no answer when the lanky Iyomi rose above the Kerala defence to nod home a Ogba Kalu corner in the 12th minute.
At half time, Churchill were sitting pretty though not comfortably on a one goal cushion. But, immediately after resumption of play, Robert Lalthamba came up with a beauty.
The diminutive winger worked his way down the left flank, sidestepped two defenders and unleashed a powerful pile-driver that Nelson, under the Kerala goal, managed to keep away. However, Nelson had no answer when Robert pounced on the rebound and finished off the move in style.
Okolie killed the match in the 65th minute after Iyomi sent a defence splitting pass that Odafe only had to tap past an onrushing goalkeeper and an empty goal.
Iyomi then scored his second and Churchill Bros’ fourth goal picking a ball from Khentang Paite, hoodwinking Kerala defender Tutu George and, with confidence soaring, even cutting past the rival goalkeeper to score.
And when Viva Kerala seemed to have had enough for the day, Okolie hammered the final nail in the dying seconds of the match after playing a nice one-two with Iyomi.