<p>The former HASC man was given a once-in-a-lifetime ovation by the packed-to-the-seams crowd at the Bangalore Football stadium, when the midfielder came in for Lalrindika Ralte in the 56th minute.<br /><br />“I’m amazed at the reaction. It was not something I expected, it was just really great,” an overwhelmed Xavier said. “I thank everyone who supported me and cheered for me from the bottom of my heart, it is something I will never forget,” he added.<br /><br />The first taste of the kind of reception that Xavier might get was seen by the amount of welcome posters pasted all around the ground. The midfielder then received a round of applause when he came onto the ground during half-time. The cheers intensified when Xavier was asked by Churchill coach Manuel Gomes to warm up, and the noise levels hit an all-time high in the 56th minute, making some even wonder if Churchill were the away side or the home side!<br /><br />“The reaction that Xavier received was great. It is beautiful for the game of football to see such a reaction,” Gomes told reporters after the game.<br /><br />“Xavier is a very important player for us. Only now has he reached good fitness levels, and I thought his experience and ability will be really useful for us to protect our lead against a very good side. I congratulate HASC for playing good football. In fact, I think we are lucky to go home with three points, I think a draw would have been a fair result,” he added. <br /><br />HASC manager, M Muralidharan also felt they were unlucky to leave without a point, but saw Sunday’s match as an encouraging sign. “We played really well today, and I thought the new 4-5-1 formation really worked. We just have to take our chances when they come, and I’m sure we will do better against Prayag United on Thursday,” he said.</p>
<p>The former HASC man was given a once-in-a-lifetime ovation by the packed-to-the-seams crowd at the Bangalore Football stadium, when the midfielder came in for Lalrindika Ralte in the 56th minute.<br /><br />“I’m amazed at the reaction. It was not something I expected, it was just really great,” an overwhelmed Xavier said. “I thank everyone who supported me and cheered for me from the bottom of my heart, it is something I will never forget,” he added.<br /><br />The first taste of the kind of reception that Xavier might get was seen by the amount of welcome posters pasted all around the ground. The midfielder then received a round of applause when he came onto the ground during half-time. The cheers intensified when Xavier was asked by Churchill coach Manuel Gomes to warm up, and the noise levels hit an all-time high in the 56th minute, making some even wonder if Churchill were the away side or the home side!<br /><br />“The reaction that Xavier received was great. It is beautiful for the game of football to see such a reaction,” Gomes told reporters after the game.<br /><br />“Xavier is a very important player for us. Only now has he reached good fitness levels, and I thought his experience and ability will be really useful for us to protect our lead against a very good side. I congratulate HASC for playing good football. In fact, I think we are lucky to go home with three points, I think a draw would have been a fair result,” he added. <br /><br />HASC manager, M Muralidharan also felt they were unlucky to leave without a point, but saw Sunday’s match as an encouraging sign. “We played really well today, and I thought the new 4-5-1 formation really worked. We just have to take our chances when they come, and I’m sure we will do better against Prayag United on Thursday,” he said.</p>
