<p>Sunil Kumar’s spotkick in the first-half stoppage time helped Mumbai Tigers upset a superior Langsning FC 1-0 in their I-League Second Division final round, first leg match at the Bangalore Football stadium on Saturday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Langsning, however, called the shots in the first half with their twin Nigerian strikers -- skipper Daniel Bidemu Ayeni and Yinka Joel Sunday Ayeni -- probing the Tigers’ defence. <br />Daniel had an opportunity to score in the 21st minute off a long pass from Fullmoon Mukhim but was thwarted by the Tigers’ custodian Arup Debnath. <br /><br />A flurry of attacks followed from the Shillong-based club with Daniel and Joel missing easy chances in the 23rd and 24th minutes respectively.<br /><br />In the 25th minute, Daniel netted off a pass from Timmy Ringkhylem only to find himself flustered after assistant referee AR Sasikumar raised the flag to signal offside.<br />NP Pradeep almost scored the opening goal for the Tigers in the 44th minute with a 25-metre screamer that curled just wide off the left goalpost. <br /><br />Much against the run of play, the Bimal Ghosh-coached side found the goal through Sunil Kumar off a penalty after Dembe Dikhate was brought down inside the box by Langsning’s Devit Metei. <br /><br />Tigers had their tails up in the second session and applied sustained pressure on Langsning by creating more spaces. Pradeep was at his free-flowing best, never hesitant to take shots on goal, and smashed a shot from the right that flew above the crosspiece in the 51st minute. <br /><br />Dikhate, Thoi Singh and captain Paresh Shivalkar came up with a couple of good moves to trouble the Langsning defence but they couldn’t convert the half-chances.<br /><br />Dikhate’s 64th minute shot from outside the area was the last noteworthy goalscoring moment in the game played in front of a lively weekend crowd. All of Langsning’s efforts came a cropper in the end as the Mumbai boys came away with three points.<br /><br />In the first match, Kolkata’s Southern Samity held Rangdajied United FC of Shillong 1-1. Babatunde Ayomide gave Rangdajied the lead in the 30th minute while Imran Khan equalised for Samity in the 51st minute. <br /><br />Sunday’s match: Mohammedan Sporting vs Bhawanipore FC (4.15 pm).</p>
<p>Sunil Kumar’s spotkick in the first-half stoppage time helped Mumbai Tigers upset a superior Langsning FC 1-0 in their I-League Second Division final round, first leg match at the Bangalore Football stadium on Saturday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Langsning, however, called the shots in the first half with their twin Nigerian strikers -- skipper Daniel Bidemu Ayeni and Yinka Joel Sunday Ayeni -- probing the Tigers’ defence. <br />Daniel had an opportunity to score in the 21st minute off a long pass from Fullmoon Mukhim but was thwarted by the Tigers’ custodian Arup Debnath. <br /><br />A flurry of attacks followed from the Shillong-based club with Daniel and Joel missing easy chances in the 23rd and 24th minutes respectively.<br /><br />In the 25th minute, Daniel netted off a pass from Timmy Ringkhylem only to find himself flustered after assistant referee AR Sasikumar raised the flag to signal offside.<br />NP Pradeep almost scored the opening goal for the Tigers in the 44th minute with a 25-metre screamer that curled just wide off the left goalpost. <br /><br />Much against the run of play, the Bimal Ghosh-coached side found the goal through Sunil Kumar off a penalty after Dembe Dikhate was brought down inside the box by Langsning’s Devit Metei. <br /><br />Tigers had their tails up in the second session and applied sustained pressure on Langsning by creating more spaces. Pradeep was at his free-flowing best, never hesitant to take shots on goal, and smashed a shot from the right that flew above the crosspiece in the 51st minute. <br /><br />Dikhate, Thoi Singh and captain Paresh Shivalkar came up with a couple of good moves to trouble the Langsning defence but they couldn’t convert the half-chances.<br /><br />Dikhate’s 64th minute shot from outside the area was the last noteworthy goalscoring moment in the game played in front of a lively weekend crowd. All of Langsning’s efforts came a cropper in the end as the Mumbai boys came away with three points.<br /><br />In the first match, Kolkata’s Southern Samity held Rangdajied United FC of Shillong 1-1. Babatunde Ayomide gave Rangdajied the lead in the 30th minute while Imran Khan equalised for Samity in the 51st minute. <br /><br />Sunday’s match: Mohammedan Sporting vs Bhawanipore FC (4.15 pm).</p>
