Late goals give Churchill victory

Formidable Churchill Brothers scored a brace in the dying minutes to overcome a goal deficit and prevail over Mohammedan Sporting 2-1 in a dramatic match in the eighth National Football League in Kolkata on Friday.

Trailing 0-1 till the 89th minute at the Salt Lake stadium, the Goans first equalised through S A Firoze before their ace striker Yusif Yakuba scored the winner three minutes into injury time to ensure full points.

After five matches Churchill have 10 points while Mohammedan Sporting have only a solitary point in their kitty.

Earlier, after a barren first session, Sporting went into the lead into the 56th minute when Edeh Chidih netted a rebound.

A Syed Rahim Nabi centre was headed by Dipendu Biswas and the ball struck the post and came back into play. Chidih, lurking nearby, placed home.

Sporting, playing their first match under new coach Jamshed Nassiri, played dearly for withdrawing into a defensive cocoon after scoring the goal.

Churchill increased their stranglehold as time went on, and the Sporting defense gave way in the closing stages, unable to bear the constant onslaught.

Churchill, who attacked on the counter, restored parity in the 89th minute. A centre from the right came to Ghanian stopper Osumanu Husseini, pushed upfront to assist the strikers, who backpassed from near the goalline and Nitin Pradhan sold a fine dummy to put Firoze in the clear on top of the six-yard box to finish.

Three minutes from the final whistle Yakubu bulged to the dismay of the home crowd and give Churchill a famous victory.