Air India beat Churchill 2-0, tops NFL table

Mumbai, Feb 18 (UNI) Samson Singh struck once in each half to help Air India beat Churchill Brothers 2-0 in the fifth round clash of the 11th National Football League for ONGC Cup played at Cooperage Stadium here today.

With this win, Air India surged to the top of the table with 10 points from five games, while Churchill Brothers remained on six points.

In a match dominated by rough play, it was Churchill Brothers who had the first crack at goal when a powerful shot by Mashangva Zenith Genius was tipped over the bar by Raju Ekka in the sixth minute.

Air India then shot into the lead in the 11th minute when Bashiru Abbas gave a low curling cross from the left to Samson Singh who neatly placed it into the empty net with the goalkeeper Vinay Singh totally beaten.

Then the play was restricted to the midfield with both teams not being able to launch any productive attack on the rival citadels.

A change of ends brought some life into the match as in the very second minute after resumption, George Ekka's shot for Churchill was well stopped by Raju Ekka in the goal.

George Ekka was in the thick of things again and in the 58th minute he was red carded for deliberately stepping on Suley Musah's ankle.

Air India, now enjoying the numerical advantage, began to launch raids on the Churchill goal and were rewarded with a goal in the 69th minute when Sanju Pradhan initiated a move down the right flank passing the ball to Samson Singh whose cross was deflected into his own goal by Selwyn Fernandes to put Air India 2-0 up.

Selwyn had a chance in the very next minute to redeem himself but he missed a sitter with an open goal ahead of him from a cross provided by Robert Lalthlamvana.

Churchill Brothers then tried their level best to get into the match but Air India's defence held forth with Suley Musah and A K Martins being brilliant at the back along with man of match Sanju Pradhan as Air India wrapped up a comfortable win to move to the top of the table.

UNI