Mandarpura and Bombay Gym take an early leap in the Second-Division Play-off

by Balbir Singh December 29, 2015

On the 28th of December ’15, Gray Athletic featured against Bombay Gym in Mumbai District Football Association (M.D.F.A) Division II playoff-round at the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (M.S.S.A) ground, Azad Maidan. Bombay Gym clinched a narrow 1-0 win with a 51^st minute strike from Vihan Chadha.

As the first-half of the match was called into action, Gray Athletic started the game brightly holding Bombay Gym on the back-foot. In a series of attack launched by Gray Athletic, first, Matin Ansari of Gray Athletic couldn’t connect his left-footed shot and second, Shehzad Khan missed-out on a golden opportunity to score from a free-kick just outside the 18-yard-box.

As the second-half progressed, Gray Athletic continued their attacking pressure; creating a number of chances, testing the goalkeeper on a handful of occasions. As the match reached its second-quarter, Bombay Gym, who for a large proportion of the first-half remained confined and cautious started to exert attacking threat on the Gray Athletic goal, but could rarely trouble in goal.

As the second-half reached its closing stages, Gray Athletic, again shifted the momentum in their favor – launching a number of chances down the flanks – coming agonizingly close to creating an opener. The first-30 minutes of the game came to an end with the deadlock yet to be broken with neither side able to make their chances to optimum use.
As the second-30 minutes of the playoff kicked-off, Bombay Gym started the half in fairly high spirits creating 2 early chances, but the goalkeeper was on toes to keep Bombay Gym at bay.

As the half progressed thought its midway-point with the momentum, this time in the hands of Bombay Gym – they didn’t fail to disappoint and took the lead in the 51st minute of the game through their no.14 Vihan Chadha with a hint of offside.  In protest of the (off-side) decision, Gray Athletic’s no.15 Asif Shaikh was sent-off for pushing the line’s man.

With the first-hurdle cleared for Bombay Gym in their fight for promotion into the second-division, they can now look forward towards facing their next opponent. Whereas for Gray Athletic their quest for promotion has taken a major stumble.

In the other play-off game between Mandarpura and Youth Soccer Academy, where Madanpura thumped Youth Soccer Academy 6-0 with Prashant Gurav and Venkatesh Devkar scoring two goals each while Somesh Thakur and Tes Bohra added to the scoreline; as Mandarpura wrapped up the victory in stunning fashion.