Mahindra United trounce Hong Kong Happy Valley 3-1

Margao, Apr 10 (UNI) A fine brace by Pomeyie Andrews Mensah guided Mahindra United (India) to trounce Hong Kong Happy Valley 3-1 and kept their unbeaten race intact in Group ''E'' of the AFC Cup 2007 Football match played at the Nehru stadium Fatorda here today.

Mahindra, who played true to their reputation, had the third win in a row. With 9 points, they have now strengthened their chances to qualify for the quarter-finals.

S Venkatesh (40th minute) and Pomeyie Mensah (70th and 74th minutes) scored for Mahindra United, while A G Gerald reduced the margin for the visitors in the 51st minute.

Mahindra, who have bettered their perfomance in every outing, were outstanding from the kick-off itself but took time to settle down. such was their dominance that they could have been up by at least three goals in the first half itself, but their strikers failed to provide the finishing touches.

The jeepmen made some quick moves and nearly scored in the 9th minute when Ghanan Yakubu, after receiving a pass from S Venkatesh, saw his attempted shot miss the target by a whishker. In the next minute, Pomeyie Andrew Mensah's header sailed over the bar.

Mahindra were almost in the lead in the 11th and 37th minutes but it was Hong Kong's goalkeeper C Y Fan who frustrated Mahindra forwards with some good saves. He could, however, not prevent a goal in the 40th minute by S Venaktesh. The goal was a result of a fine combined move when Yakubu Yusif passed to Mensah, who in quick sucession switched over the ball to better-placed S Venkatesh to make it 1-0.

After the change over, Hong Kong played with renewed vigour and could have equalised in the 50th minute but Mahindra goalkeeper Sandip Nandy punched away a power-packed shot by M T Foon following a flag kick taken by V S Monttero.

In the very next minute, Hong Kong restored parity through A G Gerald to make it 1-1.

After the equaliser, Mahindra accelerated the pace their and took the lead again in the 70th minute through Pomeyie Andrew Mensah who, after collecting the ball from Mahesh Gawali from the centre, dodged past rival defenders and also deceived the goalkeeper to make it 2-1.

The jeepmen sealed the fate of the visitors when Mensah scored a brace in the 74th minute in similar fashion to make it 3-1 in favour of Mahindra.

UNI