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Churchill Brothers came back from behind twice to beat Mumbai Kenkre FC 3-2 in the I-League 2022-23 at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco Da Gama, Goa, on Wednesday, February 22.
Scoring goals has hardly been a problem for the Red Machines this season. It is defending that has let them down often. And it seemed for a long time today that it will be the case once again. But substitute Emmanuel Yaghr dived like a swimmer into the pool to head in Hero of the Match Martin Chaves’s cross from the left and ensured three points in the 74th minute.
The day, however, started on a grim note for the hosts. In only the fourth minute, captain Momo Cisse was outdone by Kenkre FC’s Nigerian forward Francis Nwankwo on counter-attack. His perfect cross along the ground to the centre of the box was calmly tapped in by Nepalese midfielder Anjan Bista to make it 1-0.
But Churchill Brothers were into the opponents’ penalty box within a minute to earn a corner from the left. As Chaves took the shot, Ponif Vaz was brought down in the box and referee Mithun Kumar Kundu awarded a penalty amidst protests. Cisse stepped up and put a right-footed grounder into the deep left corner of the goal.
Francis got a golden chance in the 19th minute to regain the lead for Kenkre FC. It was another counter-attack that caught the Churchill Brothers defence napping. But this time goalkeeper Albino Gomes came out to narrow the angle for Francis, and the Kenkre forward ended up shooting at Gomes’ body.
Chaves, the owner of the midfield on the day, took a free-kick from the right flank straight into the goal in the 35th minute. Kenkre FC custodian Tenzin Samdup palmed it out with his left hand, only as far as Vaz. His volley went to unmarked Lalkhawpuimawia at the far post, who incredibly failed to head it in.
Abdoulaye Sane had enough time and space to convert a through pass in the 51st minute but blew it, shooting well over the bar. That miss came back to bite Churchill Brothers eight minutes later. Francis headed in Aman Gaikwad’s corner from the left to put Kenkre into the lead again.
However, Chaves took it upon himself this time to score the equaliser. His right-footer a couple of minutes later from outside the box bounced just in front of a diving Samdup and kept going away. The Kenkre goalie did get a hand to it. Nevertheless, it found the net off the post.
Sane had a terrible day in office as he even failed to accept Kenkre FC defender Rapahel Rim’s gift in the 70th minute. Rim should have headed the cross away easily. He headed it on to Sane’s foot instead. But the French forward shot wide. However, he redeemed himself to some extent in the final minutes of the match as he had to stand in goal in place of an injured Gomes. But Yaghr had headed in Chaves’s cross long before that and Kenkre FC did not have much left in the tank.
With a resounding 4-1 victory over TRAU earlier in the day, bottom-placed Sudeva Delhi FC are now just three points behind Kenkre. While Churchill Brothers climbed up to the fourth spot on the I-League table with 29 points in 19 matches.
