A goalkeeping error in the dying minutes of the match proved fatal for local outfit Hindustan Football Club as Border Security Force became the first team to qualify for the main draw of Osian's Durand Cup football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.
Gurjeet Atwal scored the solitary goal of the lacklustre encounter in the 88th minute which sent his team to a meeting with former national league champions Mahindra United in the last 16 stage on November 2.
The winner came when a cross from the left flank by the impressive Santosh Kujur was spilt by Hindustan custodian Santosh Kumar Das and Atwal, who had come in as a substitute after half-time, was close at hand to slam the ball home.
However, BSF, who have won the oldest tournament in India no fewer than seven times, were a pale shadow of the sides which presented such a formidable challenge to the big guns of Indian football.
The match featured few clear cut opportunities and Hindustan got one as early as the sixth minute when Daniel got behind the BSF defence and had only goalkeeper Deepak Kumar to beat, but failed to hit the target.
BSF were unlucky soon after when an indirect free-kick by Harjeet Singh from inside the rival penalty box came off the left post with Santosh Kumar Das well beaten.
Nathan, Manish Maithani, Pawan Deep and Harminder Singh did a lot of running for the Delhi club but rarely managed to test the rival keeper.
Whenever they got behind the defence they shot wide of the mark, much to the dismay of their Nigerian coach Bernard Oparanozie.