Kokrajhar: Bodoland FC prevailed over Border Security Force FT in a seven-goal thriller to keep their knockout chances alive in Group E of the 133rd Durand Cup played here at the SAI Stadium to keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Jwngbla Brahma scored a brace while Mitinga Dwimary and Sibra Narzary scored for the hosts. Kishori scored twice and Asif Khan also found the target for the BSF men. Bodoland finished their group stage campaign with six points while BSF FT, who lost all three matches so far, could not register a point.
Khlain Syiemlieh made one change to the Bodoland starting line-up with Jwngbla Brahma getting a start while BSF FT Head Coach Gurjit Singh Atwal made three changes in their final match with goalkeeper Harpreet Singh, Nilambar S.A. and Gopal Hembrom getting starts.
The hosts stunned BSF by scoring in the second minute of the match. Momocha Singh’s early cross was expertly finished by Mitinga Dwimary to give them an early lead. Bodoland missed a golden opportunity to double the lead as Mitinga missed a sitter inside the six-yard box and the follow-up shot by Ghanaian Joe Aidoo was cleared off the line.
On the other end BSF spurned a couple of chances to score as Lakhwinder Singh blasted his shot over the crossbar and moments later Kishori hit the side netting with his effort. The local side looked the better side for the rest of the half and looked likely to score the next goal but their attacks did not trouble the BSF defence as they held their ground.
BSF equalised within four minutes of the restart. Kishori made full use of a miscommunication in the back between Danswrang Basumatry and the goalkeeper Draoga Brahma. Kishori latched on the loose pass and rounded the goalkeeper to score his team’s first goal of the tournament.
Bodoland pushed for the lead and received a penalty for a foul by the captain Mohammad Aasif on Zacharie Mbenda. The spot kick was converted by Jwngbla Brahma to give Bodoland the lead and within eight minutes, the local side increased their lead.
Bilson Daimari’s cross from the right was headed in by substitute Sibra Narzary past the outstretched hands of the BSF goalkeeper. Lakhwinder could have reduced the lead to one goal, but the striker could not finish in a one-on-one situation as his effort hit the post.
Kishori scored his second of the match, beating the offside trap from a free-kick and finishing past the goalkeeper to make the score 3-2. The BSF side did not have much time to celebrate as Jwngbla Brahma scored a left-footed stunner from outside the penalty box to retain the two-goal lead for the local side.
Bodoland were reduced to 10 men soon, as right-back Bilson Daimari was shown the marching orders for shoving BSF’s Lakhwinder to the ground, which slowed down their efforts to score more goals.
BSF took full advantage of the extra man and scored their third goal in the 89th minute. Kishori set up Asif Khan inside the box and the substitute’s right-footed shot crept inside the goal under the hands of the Bodoland goalkeeper. Bodoland slowed things down to retain their one-goal advantage and maintained that to secure their second victory of the tournament.
–IANS