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Mohun Bagan champs

D Mengle

Salgaocar Sports Club's hopes of retaining the National Football League title fizzled out on Wednesday after they lost 0-2 to FC Kochin at the Municipal stadium in Thrissur.

The defeat of the the Goan champions, who had won the Durand Cup, National Football League and Coca Cola Super Cup last year, assured Mohun Bagan the top place in the 12-team fourth Coca Cola National Football League. With 44 points from 20 'home and away' matches, the 110 year-old Calcutta powerhouse is safely perched atop the standings, a clear eight points ahead of second placed Salgaocar, who have 36 points, and third placed Churchill Brothers, also of Goa, with 35 points. Even defeats in their last two matches -- against city mates East Bengal and Tollygunge Agragami -- or Salgaocar and Churchill winning their concluding matches cannot displace them.

The good turn that FC Kochi did to Mohun Bagan propelled them to the fifth spot in the league standings, ahead of JCT, Phagwara, on better goal difference. Both Kochi and JCT have 31 points, but Kochi has played only 19 matches as against 20 by JCT.

Though all credit is due to FC Kochi, who took the field without the services of key players I M Vijayan and Tejinder Kumar, for upsetting Salgaocar's applecart, it can be safely said that it was just not the Goans' day as nothing went right for them. And once they were stung by a goal in the 18th minute they simply lost the vivacity for a fightback.

And more than anything, it was their ever dependable defence which let them down. Franky Baretto and Roberto Fernandes have always been Salgaocar's pillars of strength, but surprisingly they found the striking Kochi trio of Issac Tondo, Eugene Gray and Ram Rai and medio Mahesh Gawli, who returned to the side after a one-match suspension, too hot to handle. Tondo, their Liberian import in particular, was a thorn in the side with his quick bursts into the box. His efforts paid off in the 18th minute when he latched on to a pass from Ram Rai, side-stepped overlapping wingback Francis Coelho and volleyed home, giving goalkeeper Juje Siddi no chance whatsoever, to put FC Kochi ahead.

That goal unsettled the Goans. In their bid to go all out for a victory to stay in the race for the title, they became wayward. Gone was the coordination, clever ball play and short passing which has made them a treat to watch. They just lost their rhythm and failed to recover.

With play mostly confined to the midfield in the second half, the proceedings grew mediocre and though Salgaocar pressed hard they couldn't create any impression on the FC Kochi defence which came up with a fine display. And ironically enough, it was the Goan citadel which fell four minutes from the final whistle.

The hardworking Tondo captialised on a long through from the deep and beat the Salgaocar defence as he darted into the box. Unable to check him, Francis Coelho fouled him from behind and in the process forced referee K Shankar to award a penalty kick. Medio Noel Wilson converted without a fuss.

FC Kochi coach T K Chathuni, who had previously been in charge of Salgaocar and Mohan Bagan, was simply delighted with the result. Moreso because his team proved that their 1-0 victory over the Goans in the 'away' match was no fluke.

"My boys played a superb game today and I am delighted with their performance. We dominated the match," he said.

Salgaocar coach Shabbir Ali was not available for comment.

FC Kochin have two matches left, the first against Border Security Force on March 19 in Ludhiana, and then against Dempo, Goa, on March 23. Victories in both these matches will certainly take them a notch or two up the ladder.