The Krishnadevpur High School from West Bengal, despite being a man down for most part of the match, held on grimly to share points with National Cadet Corps, Maharashtra, in the opening U-14 category match of the 55th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament here today.
The West Bengal schoolboys should feel elated and lucky after having been left off the hook by the NCC team when they were pressing hard against their rivals. In fact, the Maharashtra team had its chances coming their way, particularly in the second half, but the West Bengal schoolboys staved off whatever threat they posed.
Though the second half saw no high draw, one could witness plenty of action in the first half of this Pool A game. The West Bengal boys started off well and made several inroads into the rival citadel but were lacking penetration.
With the teams spending some anxious moments in rival boxes the frustration was palpable and it was time for Krishnadevpur boys to play rough, resulting in Ranajoy Das bringing down NCC's central midfield Ansari Mohammad Kamran in the box.
The referee not only red-carded Das but also blew for the spot, giving NCC a good chance. Nevertheless, Kamran failed to convert as his feeble shot was stopped by substitute goalkeeper Ranajay Pal. Disappointed as the team was, the NCC boys' forlorn faces and drooping shoulders told the dismal story.
Yet, they had a few chances in the second half but custodian Pal so alert and good under the bar that the teams had no chance but the split points.
"The red card proved to be decisive. I feel only a yellow should have been shown. But I am proud of my boys for the way they played with 10 players," said Soumitra Hazra, coach of the West Bengal school team.
But Mohammad Mubin, coach of the NCC team, put it more succinctly.
"We lost the game that we should have won. We failed to convert the penalty. It was a costly miss," said the coach, adding, "we have to go back to the drawing board and see where all we had erred."
Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by Air Marshal H B Rajaram, AVSM, VSM with former India captain Victor Amalraj as the guest of honour.
There will be 32 teams from across the country competing in the Under-14 boys' event, besides the six foreign outfits. The girl's under-17 event will witness 28 teams, including three from abroad along with a YUWA Team from Jharkhand, vying for top honours.
