The Hindu : Come from behind win for Andhra

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 11, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Come from behind win for Andhra

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM APRIL 10. An inspired Andhra Pradesh came back from behind to score a 2-1 win over Pondicherry and enhance its chances of qualifying in the South Zone Youth (under-21) football championship at the Central stadium here on Wednesday.

Andhra Pradesh completed its engagements with seven points from three matches. The Andhra win effectively ended Kerala's chances in the tournament and presented a must-win situation for Tamil Nadu, with four points from two matches, in its last encounter against Kerala on Thursday.

It was rough ride for Andhra Pradesh that needed a win, badly. The hard tackling Pondicherry players did not give much leverage to their rivals and succeeded in keeping the scoreboard blank during half time. Andhra struggled to find its rhythm and the side could not even create a genuine chance at the rival goal in the entire first half.

Pondicherry, on the other hand, threatened to score with swift counter attacks and one such move saw Gopi nearly putting his team ahead. But his shot missed the mark narrowly.

Pondicherry went ahead early in the second half with Bhaskaran scoring a peach of a goal in the 48th minute. The striker unleashed a curling right footer from 22 yards that beat the desperate dive of the Andhra goalkeeper. But the joy was short lived as Andhra hit back with vigour and equalised in the 50th minute thorough Alfred Tennyson. Pondicherry goalkeeper, Irusappan, was late in reacting to the 18-yard grounder from Alfred Tennyson, though there was not much power behind that shot.

Andhra did not slacken the pace and went all-out in search of goals. The Pondicherry defence wilted and the normally reliable Irussappan made uncharacteristic mistakes.

Andhra created quite a few chances at the rival goal. The best among them came in the 65th minute when Tennyson's header missed the mark narrowly.

But it did not take long for Andhra Pradesh to forge ahead as Mohammed Fareed gave finishing touches to a fine cross from Sridhar from right flank in the 73rd minute.

Pondicherry goal survived many anxious moments in the remaining minutes as Andhra pressed hard to increase its tally.

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