Salgaocar FC trounce Bharat FC, stay alive to save relegation

Salgaocar FC improved their chances of avoiding relegation as Darryl Duffy and Douhou Pierre scored a brace each to propel them to an emphatic 5-1 win over Bharat FC in the I-League at Nehru Staduim here today.
Salgaocar who led 2-0 af half time scored through Duffy (3rd, 50th), Bikash Jairu (8th) and Pierre (59th, 84th). The visitors pulled one back from a penalty taken by Kris William (63rd).
The win takes Salgaocar FC to 21 points from 19 matches. while Bharat FC remain last on 18 points from 19 matches.
With The sword of relegation hanging on Sporting Clube de Goa, Shillong Lajong, Salgaocar FC, Dempo FC and Mumbai FC, the picture will be clear only in the final round on May 30, a win for either teams will see them save the drop.

Salgaocar FC made two changes bringing in debutant Umesh Harijan and Bikash Jairu in place of Brian Mascarenhas and Gilbert Oliveira. The visitors too made two changes bringing in keeper Shahinlal Meloli and Kris William in place of Arindam Bhattacharya and Manjit Singh.
Salgaocar FC, aware that they need to win their last two matches to save drop, went offensive from the start as they moved the ball with quick short passes followed by long over head passes that kept the rival defence off guard and took the lead in the 3rd minute.

Zakeer Muindampara from the middle beat the rival defense with a long overhead pass and Duffy who got the ball took defender Omar in his stride and placed the ball to the far corner of the net.

Five minutes later, Umesh Harijan combined well with Zakeer and Rocus Lamare to send a ball to Houhou Pierre who sent a diagonal pass to unmarked Bikash on the left and his left-footer found the roof of the net.
The home team had couple of close chances to score but first Subhash Singh Singam effort from top of the box was kept out by diving keeper Karanjit Singh to his right in the 12th minute.
Thereafter, Subhash who moved with ball on the left inside the box back heeled a pass to Omar who was foiled in nick of time by defender Auggustin Fernandes.

Changing over, Salgaocar continued to enjoy the ball possession and after Bikash shot was blocked by Meloli soon after resumption, Duffy again found the net in the 50th minute when he chipped the ball over advancing keeper Shahinlal Meloli into the net off a pass from Zakeer.
Douhou then swelled the lead when he collected a long ball and got the better of Omar Jarun to find the net to take the match away from the visitors.
The visitors pulled one back from a penalty after Syed Nabi cross into the box struck the hand of defender Augustin Fernandes and referee Tanmoy Dhar awarded a penalty which Kris William converted to give the visitors some consolation.

Pierre than rounded off the tally when his shot off Zakeer pass hit the cross bar before crossing the goalline.