Mohammedan SC falls prey to Churchill Brothers FC
Mohammedan SC locked horns with Churchill Brothers FC in their I-League fixture at the Kalyani Stadium. The table toppers, who have won all of their games so far, were looking to extend their winning run in the league. On the other side, the Goa-based outfit had a tough start to the season with one draw and three losses. The team is currently 11th in the table.
Churchill Brothers FC earned an early lead in the game. A defensive mishap on the part of Mohammedan SC allowed forward Kenneth Ngwoke to capitalize on the situation. Mateus Costa's team steadily grew into the game with their attacking style of play.
Recent signing Komron Tursunov was at the heart of every attack initiated by Costa's side. The team were all over the league leaders and were relentless in their attack. The Black Panthers found it difficult to cope up with their opposition's pace.
The Goa-based side had another opportunity when Kenneth Ngwoke made a cut-back pass but it was slightly ahead of Sekou Sylla, who ended up fouling a defender.
The Black Panthers had a tough time dealing with their opposite numbers through the entirety of the first time. However, Andrey Chernyshov's men were able to bring in some fluidity towards the end of the first half.
Mohammedan SC equalize but fail to capitalize against Churchill Brothers FC
Churchill Brothers FC started the second half on a high note. Komron Tursunov, who has been instrumental in their attacks, launched a powerful shot to see it go wide of the mark.
Mohammedan SC steadily gained confidence in the game. They held onto the ball by passing it around, trying to carve out an opening. Their efforts rewarded them with an equalizer in the 56th minute.
Captain Nikola's lofted pass was met by Marcus Joseph, who directed his header to the bottom of the goal. Shilton Paul was unable to do anything with the attempt.
Marcus came close to adding a second goal for the Black Panthers. However, they ended up conceding at the other end.
Kenneth Ngwoke took advantage of some tired defending to help his side gain the advantage in this fixture. After this, the game turned into an evenly-contested affair with both sides trying to create another opening.
Churchill Brothers FC defender Vikas put up a lot of work to keep the Black Panthers at bay. Marcus Joseph tried to convert a few chances to bring the match back to level terms. But the forward missed by inches and allowed Costa's team to relax.
As the match approached its final moments, Mohammedan SC started to look more desperate and tried their luck from outside the box. Marcus Joseph almost added another, but this strike hit the post. Nikola delivered a free-kick but that was cleared by Vikas. The match ended in favor of Churchill Brothers FC, with Mohammedan SC losing their first match in the I-League.