India outplay Kyrgyzstan 3-0, enter first ever Nehru Cup final

New Delhi, Aug 26 (UNI) A Baichung Bhutia-inspired India outplayed Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in a thrilling encounter to enter the first ever Nehru Cup final here tonight.

Baichung beat two Kyrgyz defenders before slamming home in the 39th minute to the wild celebration of capacity crowd under floodlights at the Ambedkar Stadium.

Sunil Chhetri doubled the score in the 60th minute and substitute Abhisek Yadav shut the door on Kyrgyzstan in the (92nd minute).

India had never made it to the final of the earlier 12 editions of the invitational tournament which started in 1982 and last held in 1997.

Needing only a draw to book a final berth against Syria in the five nation tournament, India applied the pressure from the beginning and as early as the fourth minute Kyrgyzstan defence committed a blunder from Indian pressure with captain Amin Viacheslav heading towards his own goal only to be fisted over for a corner by an alert goalkeeper.

Next minute, India got a shot at the goal but Climax Lawrence's right footer from top of the box following a deflection from a Renedy Singh corner missed the crossbar by inches.

NP Pradeep then made a flying header in the 20th minute connecting a Steven Dias floater from the right which missed the right post by a whisker.

In between, Kyrgyzstan got their lone chance in the first half -- in the 11th minute -- but striker Djamshidov Ruslan's free header connecting a fine Harchenko Vadim cross from the right missed the target.

Then Baichung produced his virtuoso goal. Collecting a pass from Renedy, the Indian skipper sidestepped one defender, got the better of another and coolly slotted home past an onrushing goalkeeper to the celebration of a capacity weekend crowd.

True to what coach Bob Houghton said, India did not start defensive after resumption and went for another goal and nearly got it in the 55th minute but Chhetri could not take a full blooded shot from a Steven Dias fine cross from the right but could only toe-poked the ball which missed the right top corner area of the goal after one bounce.

The hosts, however, did not have to wait for long for the second goal which resulted from a Steven Dias great low cross from the right which beat the outstretched legs of Baichung but Chhetri was there to gently slot the ball home into the empty net.

Lanky striker Abhisek Yadav, who substituted Baichung in the 70th minute, shut the game on Kyrgyzstan in the injury time by slamming the ball past an advancing goalkeeper into the goal after being fed by a Clifford Miranda pass from the centre.

Kyrgyzstan's attacks came rarely and far between while India had several shots at the goal with the well-oiled midfield supplying the ammunition to its forwards.

In the second half, Kyrgyzstan got only a couple of scoring chances. From one such effort in the 78th minute, striker Kornilov Roman headed over from a hardworking Harchenko Vadim cross.

India's hardworking right winger Steven Dias was later adjudged man-of-the-match The final will be played on Wednesday between India and Syria at 1800 hrs.

UNI