CBI sinks MS Police, picks up their second win

by Siddharth Yadav March 11, 2018

11th March 2018, Mumbai: Sunday evening saw a game which consisted of two underachieving sides this season. Relegation battlers Central Bank of India (CBI) faced MS (Maharashtra State) Police in the MDFA Elite Division match at Cooperage Stadium.

A dominating second-half display earned Central Bank of India (CBI) a crucial 2-1 win over high-flying MS Police to keep their hope alive in the Elite Division. This was CBI’s second win in three games, they had earlier defeated KSA 2-0 and later suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Kenkre FC.

The first half was nothing but a cagey and dull affair. There were hardly any chances created in the first half. Both the outfits took their time to settle into the game but struggled majorly in front of the goal.

CBI got the best chance of the first half when Bilal came agonizingly close to open the scoring. The score was locked at 0-0 as both the sides had to completely rely on the second half.

MSP started well in the second half. In the 50th minute, MSP was awarded a penalty when Kailash Pardhi was brought down by CBI’s goalkeeper Siddhart Lawande. Striker Hemket Dhembre stepped up and made no mistake to put MSP in front.

That’s when CBI hit their peak form. Just seven minutes after conceding, CBI levelled the score. Nitin Kotiankar did brilliantly to stay on his feet before smashing a left-footer into the back of the net to put things on even terms.

A few minutes later, CBI’s striker Rishikesh Shinde was fouled inside the box which earned a penalty for his side. Russel Galbano took the responsibility and calmly converted from the spot to put CBI’s noses in front.

The Bankers dominated the rest of the second half and defended superbly to shield their one-goal lead. This was an important win for CBI and their survival. Next up for them: Mumbai Strikers and PIFA Colaba.