Alberto
cracks FC Kochi with a late goal
January 04, 1998
Indian Express
KOCHI: Salgoacar coach Shabbir Ali's hope came true today at the Jawaharlal
Nehru stadium. He felt yesterday that ``if our mid-field and strikers click,
then it will be tough for FC Kochin.''
Salgaocar (Goa) stunned favourites FC Kochin 2-1.With nine minutes
to go for the long whistle, Jules Alberto struck the winner after both
teams were tied at 1-1. Bruno Coutinho's indirect kick broke the Kochin
wall and reached Odega who found Alberto on the left free to strike. He
essayed a volley that went over Kochi 'keeper Ali Abubakar.Coutinho put
the Goans ahead when he came with a curling shot just outside the Kochin
box in the 28th minute. The first strike by the Goans was the result of
the their Nigerian recruit Odego who back-headed the ball from inside the
box to Coutinho who freed himself from others.
With a goal down, IM Vijayan came into action. Vijayan headed a ball
from left flank into the centre of the box but even before the Goan goalie
could collect the ball, Francis Coelho tapped the ball into his own goal.
Match commissioner Mamu Koya said that the goal will be credited to IM
Vijayan as per the new Fifa rules.The all-round display put up by the Goans
undid the Kochi outfit. Their defence was compact with Franky Barreto,
Roberto Fernandes and Francis Coelho. Roberto had a big hand in containing
the irrepressible rival skipper IM Vijyan, who was forced to resort to
long rangers. The mid-field was on song with fast breaks. And their strikers
did act with man-of-the-match and former Indian captain Coutinho among
goals.Kochin's resurrected mid-field lay shattered and defence left gaps.
In fact, the only professional side in the country have to thank the Goans
for the equaliser. Right from the beginning, the Goan outfit began to press
with offensive play. For the first 30 minutes, Kochin had no clue how to
recompose themselves. Roque Pereira, Khelendro Singh, Sanaton Singh and
S Venkatesh did most of the work for the Goan strikers to threaten the
home side.Minutes before the lemon break, FC Kochin were on the rampage.
Raman Vijayan succeeded in ballooning the ball with Goan goalie Juje Siddi
in front from a move orchestrated by Chapman and Vijayan. After the break,
Kochin carried on from where they left. Mohammed Salissu's cross from the
left was tapped away by Siddi. The Ghanaian could have made up for his
earlier act. A Vijayan pass was shot out when he needed to tap it in. Salissu
had scored two goals in the early matches.
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