Vasco thrash SECR 3-0, keep hopes alive

Duler, Mar 5 (UNI) Local Vasco Sports Club registered their first win against South East Central Railway (SECR), Chhattisgarh 3-0 after leading 1-0 at the breather and kept their hope alive in the ONGC 2nd Division National Football League (NFL) match at Mapusa in North Goa today.

Nigerian K K Ibrahim in the 41st minute and Minino Fernandes in the 62nd minute and substitute Agnelo D'Souza in the 87th minute scored for Vasco.

Vasco are on three points from a win and defeat out of two matches and SECR also have the same number of points from equal number of outings.

Railways, who put a fine performance in the first match against Punjab Police, today failed to combine as a team.

Vasco were outstanding today with emphasis on attack at the rival citadal, dominating the proceedings throughout.

As early as in the fourth minute from the kick off, Vasco's Alvito Rodrigues missed an open chance from a close range. They were almost in the lead in the 21st minute had not Railway's defender Vijay Anand Dadin made a goal line save of K K Ibrahim's header.

Vasco surged ahead in the 41st minute through Nigerian K K Ibrahim. Joe Ferrao, after collecting a beautiful pass from Alvito Rodrigues, unleashed a bicycle kick which rival goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh failed to grip and slipped from his hand and went towards K K Ibrahim who was lurking inside the goal post. He pounced upon the opportunity and shot it into the goal to make it 1-0.

After change over, Vasco made a spirited attack and increased their lead in the 62nd minute through Minino Fernandes off a penalty awarded to them by refree S B Saha, when Vasco's Rowan Pereira was brought down by Railway's defender Jagbandhu Modi in the danger zone. Fernandes converted the spot kick to make it 2-0.

Three minutes before the close of play, substitute Agnelo D Souza made it 3-0 and sealed the fate of the Railways.

UNI