Kyrgyzstan blank Bangladesh 3-0 to stay in contention in Nehru Cup

New Delhi, Aug 24 (UNI) Kyrgyzstan struck two quick goals in the second session to blank listless Bangladesh 3-0 in a Nehru Cup match here tonight.

Lut Fullaev scored a brace in the 28th and 54th minutes while Djamshidov Ruslan added another goal in the 57th minute to keep alive the Central Asian side's hopes for a final berth.

With today's win, Kyrgyzstan have collected six points from three matches but they have to beat India on Sunday if they want to make it to the final. A draw will make India through as the hosts have an equal six points and a goal difference of six as against one for Kyrgyzstan.

For Bangladesh, they ended the tournament without a win and with just one point which they garnered with the draw against Cambodia on Thursday.

Playing for pride only as they were already out of contention, Bangladesh were subdued all through the match and failed to produce the form they exhibited against India and they rarely troubled the Kyrgyz goalkeeper Agapov Maksim. They, though, kept the Kyrgyz at bay for around half an hour.

Kyrgyzstan's first look at the Bangladesh goal came in the eighth minute with Harchenko Vadim working down the left flank but his fine low cross was shot wide by onrushing Ruslan.

In the 21st minute, another Ruslan attempt, this time a long ranger from well outside the box, missed the target narrowly.

Nearing the half hour, Kyrgyzstan tightened the screw and surge ahead through hard working Fullaev who slammed home from a Vadim low cross from the left.

At the stroke of half time, a handful of Bangladesh supporters had a sigh of relief when Kyrgyz striker Ruslan's header missed the target by a whisker with goalkeeper nowhere in sight.

In the first session, Bangladesh failed to create any worthwhile threat to Kyrgyz goal. Most of their moves ended inside the opposition box with their forwards failing to make the finishing touches.

Mohammad Zahid Hossain's 26th minute right footer from around 20 metres, which missed the crossbar by a whisker, was the only worthwhile attempt.

Kyrgyzsatan did not remain content with the narrow lead and pressed for a cushion and found it nine minutes after resumption when Fullaev's diving header connecting yet another spadework from Vadim from the right found the net.

Three minutes later, Kyrgyzstan sealed the issue with Ruslan making a perfect left-footed placement into the net after a Vadim pass deflected to him from a defender.

For the next half hour, Bangladesh made some efforts to reduce the margin but to no avail. The nearest they came close to scoring was in the 73rd minute when Mohammad Abul Hussain free kick went out after tantalisingly coming close to finding Mohammad Jahid Hasan Ameli's head.

Fullaev was later deservingly named man-of-the-match. Syria, who have already made it to the final after three straight wins, play Cambodia tomorrow at 1900 hrs.

UNI