By Abhishek Roy, IANS
Ludhiana : Mahindra United defeated Sporting Clube de Goa 6-5 via tie-breakers in an enthralling quarterfinal of the 29th Federation Cup football tournament, after the regulation time ended in a 1-1 deadlock here Saturday.
For Mahindra, substitute goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chaudhuri was the hero of the day as he fisted out Sporting’s final spot kick off Bibiano Fernandes, which ultimately knocked out the Goan outfit from the 16-team tournament at the Guru Nanak Stadium here.
N.P. Pradeep, Steven Dias, Djiaja Pierre, Manjit Singh and Surojit Bose were on target for Mahindra, who sailed into the semis. Barring Fernandes, Bisheshwor Singh, Nicholas Muyoti, Rajesh Meetei and Olushola Ogundare found the net for the Goan team.
The famed Mumbai outfit took the lead in the 29th minute through an Ajayan Nair strike after the midfielder was set up in the box by Steven Dias.
Dias, whose immaculate crosses were one of the main factors behind India’s Nehru Cup triumph, was in his elements and his measured curling lob from the right wing found an unmarked Ajayan in the box. Ajayan trapped and chipped it past Sporting goalie Luis Barreto.
Sporting were lucky to earn the equaliser in the 76th minute when Ogundare was tripped in the box by defender Goutam Debnath and referee Minangsu Bhattacharya indicated to the hot-spot. The decision infuriated the Mahindra players, who heckled the referee and Ajayan was shown a yellow card for pushing Bhattacharya.
Fernandes was bang on target to fire the equaliser but the lanky midfielder disappointed in the crucial tie-breaker which cost his team the match.
Sporting failed to take the revenge of the 2005 final when the Mumbai team also had the last laugh.
Mahindra, bolstered by the presence of national players like Ajayan, Steven, Manjit Singh and goalkeeper Sandip Nandy, had the edge but had to toil against the resilient Goan team.
Sporting coach Clifford Chukuwama, displeased by the standard of refereeing after one of the goals by Ogundare was disallowed by linesman Dhanapati Roy for an off-side ruling, lodged a protest with the organisers.
TEAMS:
Mahindra United: Sandip Nandy (goalkeeper) (Subhasish Roy Chaudhuri, 117th), Sushant Mathew, N.P. Pradeep, Goutam Debnath, Harpreet Singh, Steven Dias, Sunil Kumar, Ajayan Nair, Djiaja Pierre, Mohammed Rafi (Surajit Bose, 76th), Minga Edson Dico (Manjeet Singh, 46th)
Sporting Clube de Goa: Luis Barreto (goalkeeper), Chandrasekhar Chinta, Felip Gomes, Rajesh Meetei, Joseph Pereira, Nicholas Muyoti, Harmanjot Khabra, Bibiano Fernandes, Micky Fernandes (Bishweshwor Singh, 70th), Boniface Ambani (Fredy Mascarenhas, 45th) (Cavin Lobo, 97th), Olushola Ogundare
Referee: Minangsu Bhattacharya (IFA)