Sports
Super Cup: BFC clinch exciting win over Gokulam (Lead)
Bhubaneswar, April 1 (IANS) Bengaluru FC (BFC) clinched a hard fought 2-1 win over Gokulam Kerala FC in an exciting, fast paced Super Cup match here on Sunday.
Henry Kisekka (33rd minute) had given Gokulam the lead with a wonderful strike in the first half.
But BFC made a strong comeback to dominate the second half as Nicolas Fedor (69th minute) found the equaliser before Udanta Singh (90+4) scored the winner deep into the second half added time.
It was a saga of two halves as Gokulam, who finished seventh in this season’s I-League, outshone the Indian Super League (ISL) runners-up in the first half.
They were fast and incisive in attack while the defence did well to shut out most of the BFC attacks.
Although BFC skipper Sunil Chettri managed to beat the Gokulam defence on a couple of occasions, an excellent tackle by defender Emmanuel Chigozie and a superb save by goalkeeper Nikhil Barnard kept the I-League outfit’s citadel intact.
Gokulam took a well deserved lead when a fantastic build-up culminated in a well directed through to Henry Kisekka.
The Ugandan striker controlled the ball well before producing an excellent finish to beat BFC custodian Gurpreet Singh in a one-on-one situation.
The second half however, was a different story altogether as a determined BFC dominated proceedings from start to finish.
Gokulam were forced on to the backfoot and kept the repeated BFC attacks at bay with some desperate defending and a few superb saves by Barnard.
However, BFC’s sustained pressure finally bore result off a counter-attack when Udanta Singh’s scorching pace down the right flank and subsequent cutback to an unmarked Fedor beat a couple of Gokulam defenders.
With the Gokulam defence woefully out of position, Fedor had all the time and space in the world to place the ball past Barnard.
BFC continued to attack relentlessly but the tough Gokulam defence held firm.
But Udanta finally broke their brave resistance in virtually the last minute of injury time when he found the target off a square pass by Fedor.
–IANS
ajb/bg
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
