JOIN USA brace each from Ajit Kumar Singh and RC Prakash helped Hindustan Aeronautics Sports Club (HASC) rally past a resilient KGF Sports Academy 4-2 in the BDFA Super Division match at the Bangalore Football stadium on Thursday.
Ajit Kumar’s goals came in the 51st and 66th minutes and Prakash netted in the 56th and 65th minutes of the match after KGF Academy went ahead through Mohammad Kalandar (21st) and Stephen (42nd).
HASC now have 17 points from eight matches while KGF, who have four points, crashed to their first defeat in three games.
KGF Academy started the match on a positive note with Stephen’s shot was saved by HASC custodian Pramod in the 11th. Kalandar put KGF Academy infront by converting a penalty which was awarded to them after HASC’s B Prakash handled the ball inside the box.
Six minutes later, HASC wasted an opportunity to level the scores with Prakash’s heading over the crossbar a neat cross from Vinod.
In the 42nd minute, Stephen doubled the lead through a header from a Tiken Singh free kick. But HASC turned the tables in the second half against KGF Academy coached by former India striker Raman Vijayan, who also came on as a substitute later.
Ajit Kumar headed home HASC’s first goal after being fed by Vinod. Soon after, Prakash converted a penalty to score the equaliser. The spot kick was awarded after KGF Academy’s Murugappan brought down Prakash inside the box.
The equaliser saw veteran Raman Vijayan, who is also the team’s coach, replacing Shankar Roy in the 63rd minute to a rousing welcome from the crowd.
Prakash put HASC in the lead and Ajit Kumar tapped in a Vinod pass to go 4-2 ahead. In the 86th minute, HASC’s Liliyan Kenneth, who received a yellow card in the 62nd minute for objecting to referee Vijaya Kumar’s decision of not awarding a penalty, was sent off after being booked for the second time for abusing the referee.
Other result: ‘A’ Division: RWF: 6 (Regen 18th, 20th, Satish Kumar 30th, 46th, Prakash C 61st, AD Kumar 69th) bt Southern Blues: 2 (Gesan 7th, Rajendra Prasad 34th).