3rd round of 57th CC meet : TRAU edge past spirited YDO to enter pre-quarter final stage
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 28 2013 :
Tiddim Road Athletics Union (TRAU), Kwakeithel overcame a spirited YDO, Heinoukhongnembi by a margin of 2-1 goals to set up a pre-quarter final date with BSF (Manipur, Nagaland, Cachar Frontier) on December 30 at the ongoing 57th CC Meet football tournament at Mapal Kangjeibung today.
The match started off on a cautious note, with both teams testing the others, with the YDO team adopting a more defensive approach.
The defence of the YDO managed to keep the TRAU strikers in check, with some tight men marking but it was not defensive play all the way, with the two strikers of YDO, Olen and Nanao, playing in tandem with each other and making dangerous forays into the territory of TRAU.
Against the run of play, it was YDO which first created a good opportunity to open the scoring.
Combining perfectly, the duo of Olen and Nanao, found the gaps in the defence of TRAU in the middle of the first half and initiated a dangerous move from the right flank.
A near perfect cross from Olen found Nanao in a good position near the top of the penalty box.
Nanao deftly controlled the ball and fired a volley, only to find the ball hitting the bar and going out of play.
Jolted by this, TRAU pull up their game a notch or two and then went on the offensive and launched a series of attacks.
Though the defence of YDO stood firm, TRAU finally managed to break through and score the opening goal in the 29th minute.
The goal came off an attack down the right flank with L Bikram floating the ball near the box of YDO, where substitute Ng Rahul was perfectly in position to slot home the ball.
The first half ended with TRAU leading by one goal to nil.
The second half started tentatively, with both sides testing the water with caution.
With greater ball possession and not relying on the one goal lead, TRAU put more men in the attack and started making forays into the territory of YDO.
The open and attack tactics of TRAU finally paid dividends in the 59th minute when TRAU striker, Ng Ronald crossed a ball near the box of YDO.
Ng Rahul, who scored the first goal, deftly let the ball go to Premkumar who was placed in a better position to take the shot and in the process catching the YDO defenders on the wrong foot.
Premkumar made no mistake with the opportunity and he managed to net the ball, to increase the lead of TRAU by two goals to nil.
Two goals down, but this did not dampen the spirit of YDO, as they came back stronger and started launching a series of attacks with the striker duo of Nanao and Olen teaming up perfectly to keep the TRAU defence on their toes all the time.
The two combined well to breach the defence of TRAU from time to time, but a goal continued to elude them until the 78th minute.
The goal was a result of one to one between Olen and Nanao, who managed to break through the left flank.
Creating ample space with some deft footwork, Olen managed to breach the defence with a well timed pass to Th Kishan who was well position near the top of the penalty box.
Th Kishan made no mistake in converting the pass to a goal, but by then it was a little too late.
TRAU fell back and tightened its defence, giving no space to the duo of Nanao and Olen and managed to cling on to their lead and end the match in their favour by a margin of 2 goals to one.
Two TRAU players, striker Ng Rahul and defender L Ratan were yellow carded.
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