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Mohd. Sporting qualifies for semifinals

NEW DELHI JAN. 5. Mohammedan Sporting did not disappoint the large Sunday crowd at the Ambedkar Stadium. With its survival at stake, the Kolkata side put up a plucky display in defence, after a fourth-minute lead through Dipendu Biswas, to qualify for the semifinals of the Durand football tournament with a lone-goal victory over JCT, Phagwara.

This was the last group `A' quarterfinal league match and Sporting (one point) needed to win to go through while JCT (three points) required just a draw to make it. In the end, even though there were any number of close calls at the Sporting goalmouth, the Phagwara players just could not rise to the occasion to grab that vital point. To make the exit earlier in the pool was Tata Football Academy (TFA) with a lone point.

Earlier, in group `C', Vasco Club, Goa, beat Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), Bangalore 3-0, a result which proved to be inconsequential. Army XI (four points) was the team to make the last-four stage from this group, with the Goans ending up with three and ITI just one point. ITI needed a 2-0 win to sneak through, but perished without a fight.

Mohammedan Sporting was tighter in defence this day, compared to the opening match against TFA, thanks mainly to Habib Adenkunle who was pulled back from the midfield since skipper Hussain Mustafi was out with the red card from the previous match. The midfield was a little patchy, but up front, Dipendu Biswas showed a willingness to fall back and run hard. He created quite a number of openings, without getting the support that could have been expected from Abdul Latif Seriki.

Seriki, however, provided Biswas with the opening for the goal, a flicked header finding the latter in position to reach the mark from close. The early goal reminded one of a similar situation for Sporting against TFA, but for a change, the Kolkata defence stood its ground.

JCT piled up the pressure in the second half, but Hardeep Gill spurned two easy chances and there were misses by substitutes Kuldeep Singh and Surjit Singh as well. A long-ranger from Hardeep Saini brought the best out of goalkeeper Imran Khan.

Vasco took the lead in the 62nd minute through Rui Wanderlei and survived a penalty five minutes later when Rahim Ibrahim was brought down by Franky Baretto. Tejinder Kumar, however, failed to beat goalkeeper Saji Joy, with a weak shot from the spot.

Anthony Fernandes and Santa Singh slotted home the last two goals for the Goan team in the last five minutes.

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