JOIN USBEML held by gritty Threads
BEML, who suffered a 0-3 drubbing at the hands of local rivals Hindustan Aeronautics Sports Club in their opening encounter, suffered for the second game in succession as Golden Threads continued their surprise run against big guns at the Bangalore Football Stadium.
Nigerian Enyinnaya Lovaday crafted a brillaint winner as Malabar United scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Titanium Travancore in the day’s earlier match.
Completely off colour against his former club HASC on Sunday, RC Prakash appeared to make a statement and the veteran striker gave BEML the perfect start against the Kochi outfit from a set-piece. Nigerian Alesh Shamaki relayed the ball from a freekick in the fourth minute to J Anaba Hamza Agaba, who threaded the ball between two defenders to Prakash. The latter then completed the fine move to perfection by slipping the ball into the net.
Inexplicably, BEML squandered the momentum and sprayed the ball around the field much to the dismay of their fans. Within ten minutes, Sanju Veenara, who struck the winner against State Bank of Travancore on Saturday, brought Golden Threads on level terms with a neat finish. Abhijit K fired a low cross from the right and the unmarked striker thundered it in with a diving header.
Following the setback, BEML did show some discipline and control in play but hasty finishing prevented them from forging ahead again. RC Prakash and Hamza worked well in tandem but the former missed twice from close range.
Upon resumption, BEML regained the lead after SAI-signing Don Bosco produced a moment of brilliance. The medio pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the box and rifled it past Threads’ custodian Jinesh Thomas in the 56th minute.
However, his brilliance was overshadowed by a piece of magic from Veenara when the striker, let free around the box, unleashed a powerful volley from the right past custodian Rajan in the 74th minute. BEML had a great chance to run away with three points but Hamza fluffed a good ball from Sharath two minutes from time.
Malabar win
Prasanth Simson put Titanium ahead against the run of play in the 42nd minute but Shamjith V equalised for Malabar on the hour before Lovaday sealed a deserved victory for the Kochi side in the 84th minute.
At Delhi, group B: Hindustan FC: 2 (Mahinder Rawat 23rd, 27th) bt Amity United FC: 0; Mumbai FC: 1 (Tarif Ahmed 62nd) drew Simla Young FC: 1 (Samson Owuasegun 8th).