I-League: Bengaluru FC notch big win

Bristling with aggression, Bengaluru FC maintained their unbeaten run against Sporting de Goa by hammering out a 4-1 win in the Hero I-League match here on Tuesday.

While recording their sixth win in 11 outings, the Blues displayed rare cohesion in the front, especially in the second half as goals by Joshua Walker (33rd), Rino Anto (51st), Thoi Singh (60th) and Beikhokhei Beingaichho (80th) saw the winless Goan team slip to their sixth defeat in 11 outings.

The only consolation for Sporting was a 83rd minute strike that saw Blues defender John Johnson deflecting a try by substitute Victorino Fernandes.

The big defeat notwithstanding, the visitors displayed plenty of spunk to repeatedly trouble the Blues who looked rather unconvincing at the back, allowing Sporting forwards to take pot shots, a few of which were stopped by an alert goalkeeper Lalthuammawia Ralte who had an outstanding game.

The hosts were indeed lucky to survive the first half without conceding a goal, given the tottering defence that surprisingly left huge gaps for the opportunistic Sporting forwards to exploit.

Nigerian import Odafa Okolie, in particular, looked the most dangerous of the Sporting forwards, but he wasted at least two open chances when well-placed to score.

On the first occasion, Okolie shot wide of the target after breaching the Bengaluru defence and later, in the stoppage time, his good attempt was deflected to safety by a diving Ralte.

In contrast, the Blues appeared rather subdued as they managed only a few attacks most of which broke up mostly due to very poor delivery of the final passes.

The only time the Blues got it right was when the hard-working Euguene Lyngdoh essayed a near-perfect free-kick from the left for Walker to get a touch that sent the ball to the far corner of the net for the only goal of an otherwise mediocre first-half.

The resumption saw a refreshingly positive Bengaluru setting a hot pace to tear into the Sporting defence to notch their second goal. Skipper Sunil Chhetri found Sean Rooney on the right and the Aussie slipped past a slow reacting defender Chinta Chandrasekar before passing to Anto who made no mistake with a low right-footer past goalkeeper Ravi Kumar.

Soon after, Thoi Singh, pouncing on a sloppy clearance, made it 3-0 for the Blues which allowed coach Ashley Westwood the luxury of pulling out Rooney, Robin Singh and Lyngdoh.

Beingaichho, who had come in for Lyngdoh, capped a fast left-wing move to put Blues 4-0 ahead before Johnson blundered in the 82nd by deflecting to net a Fernandes cross.