Bengaluru FC win nerve-wrecking tie

15 Jan 2014

Bengaluru FC 5 (Beikhokhei – 5^th, 40th, Sunil Chhetri – 33^rd, Robin Singh – 66^th90+3)

beat

Sporting Clube de Goa 3 (Boima Karpeh – 74^th, Beevan Mello – 89^th, Victorino – 90+1)

By Debayan Mukherjee,
AIFF Media Team,

MANJERI: Sporting Clube de Goa staged a late surge but it was Bengaluru FC who had the last laugh in a rip-roaring encounter which ended 5-3 at the MDSC Stadium in Manjeri on Wednesday (January 15, 2014).

Late goals from Beevan Mello and Victorino Fernandes gave Bengaluru FC some needless headache after Boima Karpeh had pulled one back for Flaming Oranje who were down by four goals till the 73^rd minute.

But substitute Robin Singh netted the fifth and final goal of the match in the last minute of added time to ensure a miraculous Sporting comeback was not on the cards.

Robin scored in the second half before Sporting’s mini-comeback to add to Bengaluru FC’s three goal cushion in the first session. Beikhokhei scored twice and Sunil Chhetri netted the other in the first half for the Airtel I-League leaders.

Boima, who scored one and set up the other two for Sporting, missed a penalty in the 58^th minute after Victorino Fernandes was tripped inside the box by Vishal Kumar.

Earlier, John Meyongar floated the ball into the area with Sean Rooney chasing it. Sporting goalkeeper Ravi Kumar fluffed with the ball falling nicely for Beikhokhei who slammed the ball into the back of the net.

The JSW owned outfit doubled their tally in the 30^th minute when India Captain Sunil Chhetri scored his 10th goal in all club competitions this season. Meyongar found Rino Anto on the right who controlled the ball beautifully to tee up Sunil. Keeping his goalscoring spree intact Chhetri headed in with minimal fuss to send the crowd into ruptures.

Beikhokhei notched up his second seven minutes later to underline Bengaluru’s domination in the first half. Chhetri turned provider twisting and turning his marker to set up Beikhokhei who just had to tap in from close range.

Things were no different till the 75^th minute of the match as Bengaluru FC took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Robin Singh sent Ravi Kumar the wrong way to score into an empty net. But just when it looked like the match was done and dusted, Sporting staged a comeback with Karpeh pulling one back in the 74^th minute, slotting home from inside the box with a diagonal finish.

Substitutes Beevan and Victorino followed it up with late goals.