Bordoloi Trophy: Winning start for Mohammedan Sporting

Bordoloi Trophy

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Mohammedan Sporting made winning a start in the Bordoloi Trophy at Mukalmuwa today. In their opening game, Kolkata outfit defeated Assam Police Blues by a solitary goal.

In another game of the championship at Dibrugarh Guwahati Super Division League champion Assam Sports Electricity Board Sports Club (ASEBSC) shared point with Malki Club of Meghalaya. The game between the two outfits ended as a goalless draw.

Ghanaian goal-machine Philip Adjah scored the winning goal in the 18th minute at Nalbari's Mukalmua Stadium.

Mohammedan SC was the first to launch attacks, with Kamran Farooque's dazzling overlapping runs looking dangerous during the early stages.

Laltu Hembram had the first shot of the game in the sixth minute but it sailed over the bar, and that was followed by Assam Police’s first threatening attack which saw Lachit Boro try to play a through ball to the on-running Sanjay Das, but he arrived late.

As the clock wound down in the first half, most of the play had taken place at the heart of the field and the goalkeepers had less to do, only called into action when taking goal kicks.

However, a moment of sheer brilliance by David Asamoah and a clinical finish by Adjah opened the scoring for Mohammedan SC in the 18th minute.

Having taken the lead, Mohammedan SC got a much-needed confidence boost and they increased their pressure up front dominating the game entirely. Despite creating numerous scoring opportunities it was lack of finishing that saw first-half ended 1-0.

Assam Police started the second-half stronger and came within inches of equalizing in the 54th minute but Laltu Mondal made a fine save to keep his side ahead.

Mohammedan SC kept up the pressure and Assam Police keeper made a couple more smart stops to keep out a header by his own defender, as well as a pile-driver from Laltu Hembram in the 74th minute.

Four minutes later it should have been 2-0 had not Adjah's free-kick from 30-yards out struck the crossbar.

Assam Police threw numbers forward in the final ten minutes of the game but were unable to find the back of the net as the Black Panthers held on for a well-deserved 1-0 win.

There will be no matches tomorrow. On Tuesday at Dibrugarh OILFC will face Malki Club while at Mukalmuwa on the same day Assam Police Blues will take on TRAU.