By IANS
Margao : Sporting Clube de Goa continued with their winning ways in the football I-League with a late solitary goal win over Mohun Bagan at Nehru Stadium here Wednesday.
A goal from Junior Elijah, four minutes from close, brought about a dramatic end to what remained a dull contest.
The win enabled Sporting Clube jump to fifth position with 12 points, a welcome change from their bottom-placed rank only a couple of weeks ago, while Mohun Bagan stayed in the fourth spot with 14 points.
Mohun Bagan dominated the first half in terms of chances created, but were left cursing both luck and inept finishing.
The Kolkata team almost took the lead at the half hour mark when Brazilian striker Jose Barreto’s low shot was parried away by Sporting goalkeeper Luis Barreto. Another chance came a little later, but captain Bhaichung Bhutia ended flicking the header off target after being nicely picked up by Shanmugham Venkatesh.
Sporting Clube hit back after the twin misses. Joseph Pereira, named Man of the Match, found his long ranger missing the target narrowly after seeing Bagan goalkeeper Sangram Mukherjee out of position. Ghanaian striker Lawrence Adjei also came when his full-blooded volley from 25-yards out effectively blocked by Sangram under the Mohun Bagan goal.
Both teams showed urgency after the change of ends.
Mohun Bagan coach Carlos Roberto Pereira introduced Lalawmpuia for an ineffective Venkatesh and changed to an attacking 4-3-3 formation.
Sporting Clube too took Nigerian midfielder Mohammad Gaffari and introduced the hardworking Harmanjot Khabra in the centre of midfield. Goalkeeper Luis Barreto prevented his side from going behind when he tipped over a Jonathan Bobo header after Dharamjti Singh had swung the corner.
A minute later, Bagan were again cursing the luck as Barreto volleyed aimlessly.
Sporting Clube grabbed the winner four minutes from close when Elijah latched on to a weak clearance by N.S. Manju and nodded home to stun Mohun Bagan.