D'Cunha nets Salgaocar's winner

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE, FEB. 17. Salgaocar custodian Juje Siddi survived 17 close calls and seconds before the final whistle, he suffered a red card. Despite the last minute blot, Siddi could afford to chip in a weak smile as Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) flailed with last minute glitches. And Salgaocar, which zealously-guarded its Alvito D'Cunha's 13th minute strike, walked out winner, defeating ITI 1-0 in a National Football League match at the Bangalore Football Stadium here on Saturday.

On the match's eve, ITI coach Habib had mulled over his team's bad luck. The coach may continue to blame the luck but if ITI baulks with just five points from seven outings, the team has to be accountable. The telephonemen banked on strikers George Ekeh and Kenneth Ogwa to strike in tandem. Ekeh did cause the Goan citadel considerable heartburn but with Ogwa playing with two left feet, ITI's attacks lacked tangible results.

Salgaocar lacked the typical Goan effervescence but hung in grimly against the ITI raids. It also helped that the Goan outfit drew first blood in the 13th minute. While ITI sulked with Ogwa's failure to connect Salgaocar medio Jules Alberto's misspass near the goalmouth, the Goan outfit mounted a quick offensive. Alvito D'Cunha latched onto a through from the midfield, hoodwinked ITI's Shafeeq and slotted in the right- footer past custodian Balaji.

The game then got rife with ITI raids, while Salgaocar, playing without an injured Bruno Coutinho, seemed content to play second fiddle. Later on Salgaocar coach Marcus Pacheco said, ``our opportunities got tough, so we decided to tighten our defence and stop them (ITI).'' And the partisan crowd was left high and dry with a recurring pattern of ITI attacks getting muffled in Salgaocar's defense.

ITI spearhead George Ekeh was shackled as Covan Lawrence and Franky Barreto constantly tailed him. While Salgaocar plugged its cracks, ITI gave a free run to Alvito with no defender marking him effectively. Ekeh was straffed for passes as the midfield, feeble with Yusuf's absence, struggled for a toehold.

He did soldier on but a chipped right-footer sailed wide and a stinger from the right was deflected by custodian Siddi. Salgaocars' lone riposte from Alvito's boots was punched away by ITI custodian Balaji in the 31st minute. However ITI's equaliser proved elusive as in the 37th minute, Ogwa made a hash off a Ekeh nudge. He slipped and a feeble lef- footer rolled harmlessly out.

Salgaocar's 1-0 lead at the break, remained permanent as ITI grappled with lost opportunities. Peter substituting for Santosh Kumar did his futile runs zealously, while Ogwa's woes continued. In the 73rd minute, with a vacant goal in front, Ogwa conclusively missed a Kenneth Raj's pass from the right. In the final minutes, Salgaocar shrugged its defensive mode and bagged four yellow cards with the nadir being Siddi's red card, for showing dissent against referee K. Shankar.

Salgaocar has 15 points from seven outings and will take on Mohun Bagan at Margao on February 22, while ITI clashes with Air India at Mumbai on February 20.

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