NEW DELHI: Mahindra and Mahindra virtually assured themselves of a semifinal berth in the Durand cup football tournament from group is they defeated Kerala police 31 at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Tuesday. Fancied cast Bengal opened its campaign in group Il league, struggling to 2 30 victory over lowly army service corps (south), which qualified for the league only because MRF, Gos, withdrew in the last minute, Mahindras now have five points from three games, having only a match against Mohun Bagan on hand while Kerala police suffered its first reverse after two drawn ‘outings in the fiveteam group I. Mahindras launched a series of attacks, undeterred by an early goal scored by Kerala police right Winger Sakir. The wrong-footed even international V.P. Sathyan, who had stood like a rock in the police defense in the earlier games.
Medio Santosh Kashyap scored twice in the second half before the ubiquitous striker, Mushtaque Ali, completed the tally for Mahindras, which found its bearings in the second half after a belowpar opening session. That meant that the brilliance of international Pappachan could not save Kerala police from a humiliating defeat.
The Kerala side, who had drawn both their earlier games, were nowhere in the ‘match after the first goal, and they threatened the rivals only once three minutes after the breather.
Sakira (Eds: correct), off a long ball, raced down to the box from the right but wasted a golden chance to strengthen their position with a hurried grounder pest an advancing goalkeeper. The placement went just wide off the left post.
On the other hand, Mahindras kept the pall in the rival half for major part of the game and attacked repeatedly forcing even the forwards to come to the defenders’ rescue.
Mahindras were unlucky to miss the equalizer in the first half itselfas first, Mushtaque Ali’s header went out after hitting a defender and later Hubert Gonsalves, who squandered half a dozen chances, headed straight intoustodian Chacko’s hands.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 29, 1989
