I League: Sporting hold Churchill

Sporting Clube de Goa keeper Luis Barreto put up a brave front under the bar to hold Churchill Bros to a goalless draw and split points in the 10th round of the I-league, played at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Margao.

Sporting, who were looking for their first win started off well as they dictated terms against their fancy rivals even as they had the lion share of exchanges, created couple of clear chances.

But Nathaniel Amos first angular drive missed the target narrowly and later rival keeper Arindam Bhattacharya made a diving save.

Churchill Bros failed to combine themselves in the midfield lacked the urgency in their attack. Odafe Okolie who was kept quite once eluded his marker and took a shot at the goal which keeper Baretto parried over the bar.

Churchill Bros raised their game in the second half with Odafe Okolie stepping up pressure on the rival defense and had a chance to put his team ahead early in the second half but his left Footer hit the cross bar after he played a one-two pass with Kalu Ogba.

Later he again had an opportunity to put his team up but this time keeper came to his side rescue when he blocked a powerful shot from inside the box. Churchill kept on the pressure and Odafe from the left send a goal mouth cross which Charan Rai was late in connecting the ball.

Sporting keeper Luis Baretto who won the man of the match award for his brilliant performance under the bar kept the slate clean when he denied Odafe Okolie from scoring as he parried the ball over from a flag kick taken by Charan Rai.

Churchill Bros now have 18 points from 10 matches. While Sporting clube de Goa remained at the bottom without a win have five points from 9 matches.

East Bengal-Mumbai FC split points
Mumbai: The 10th round I-league match between East Bengal and hosts Mumbai FC turned out to be a dull affair as it ended in a goalless draw at the Cooperage in Mumbai.

Though Mumbai FC played four strikers -- Abhishek Yadav, Dane Pereira, Kanye Vincent and Alex Ambrose, who replaced Surojit Roy in the 59th minute -- they found it difficult to make inroads into the East Bengal half, which was packed with as many as five mid-fielders in the absence of a fully fit Baichung Bhutia, who was brought in in the 70th minute.

On the other hand, East Bengal created more opportunities, attacking the rival goal post twice in the first ten minutes, but failed to get past the goalkeeper.

A feeble attempt by Abel Hammond in the seventh minute was blocked by Mumbai FC goalkeeper Nidhinlal A.C.

Three minutes later, Harmonjit Singh Khabra passed the ball to Hammond who in turn passed it to Alvito D' Cunha in the box, but his hit missed the target.

The visitors had a good opportunity in the 18th minute as Budiram Tudu only had the goalkeeper to beat from the box after receiving a cross from Hammond but failed to do so as Nidhinlal diverted the ball out of danger-zone.

The hosts too could have gone ahead but East Bengal keeper Abhra Mondal did well to deflect a Kayne Vincent shot overhead. Vincent beat two defenders to send a cross to Dane Pereira ten minutes into the second half, but Pereira failed to guide the ball in.

With this match Mumbai FC have 14 points from 10 ten matches, while East Bengal have 13 points from as many  matches.