NEW DELHI: Punjab State Electricity Board’s hopes of qualifying for the semifinals of the DCM Football Tournament ended in smoke as they suffered a 0-1 reverse at the hands of South Korea’s Posco. Steel Club in the last league match at Ambedkar Stadium here on Monday.

PSEB’s defeat thus saw Calcutta’s Mohammedan Sporting emerge as the second team from Pool A to qualify for the series. Mohammedans had ended, their engagements with a point’s tally of three while PSEB finished with two, Posco Club, who had already been assured of a semifinal berth, thus finished their engagements with an unbeaten record to top the group with six points.

‘A draw was what PSEB were looking for against their fancied opponents on Monday. If they had achieved that objective, it would have sufficed them to make their way into the semi-final slot on better goal difference. But even a draw looked a distant dream for them at one stage as the South Koreans kept up their pressure almost throughout. But if the few chances that PSEB earned could have been turned into account then things would have been different.

With the PSEB goalkeeper Darshan Singh bringing off two splendid saves in the first half and the Korean forwards unable to translate their superiority into goals, the PSEB goal escaped from falling in the first 45 minutes. PSEB almost backed pedaled in this half, apart from one try following a passing bout between strikers Khanwant and Kuldip which eventually Dhanwant headed out.

The Koreans indulged in clever short movements with plenty of speed and skill. But it was in the striking department that they erred often; Left striker JI Won Sun surprisingly sent his powerful shot wide of the left post after Kyung Ko Kim had floated a cross to him from the left in the early stage. But the easiest of chance was muffed by Ji Won Sun again midway through the first session when with goal keeper Karshan Singh at his mercy, he again failed to strike the target from inside the box after Tae Sikh Huh and Kyung Ho Kim had done the spadework.

Goalkeeper Darshan Singh did a good job early in the first half. He cut short a booming free kick from Bu Man Kim and then punched out a header sent to him from Ki Hyeong.

The Koreans could not be denied the goal for long. They at least struck in the 65th minute which eventually sealed the fate of PSEB,

PSEB made some desperate tries late in the game to come back into the picture.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> December 2, 1988