Air India’s second half take off dismantles RCF

by Kaushal Shukla November 15, 2015

Champions Air India moved to the top of the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) Elite Division standings with a 6-2 win over Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) at Cooperage on Saturday afternoon. Ashkar C.V and skipper Vijith Shetyy both netted braces for the Champions as a rampant second half showing proved too hot to handle for a struggling RCF side.

It was dull start to the game as Air India took a while to get going against a RCF side which was content to keep Air India at bay in the first twenty minutes. Coach Patrick’s men were successful in doing so as Air India offered little threat upfront.

But four minutes past the half hour mark, all of RCF’s good work was undone when they failed to deal with a set-piece just on the edge on the penalty area on Air India’s right hand side. The free kick which was zipped in by Air India across the face of the goal was touched on by Neil Gaikwad to give Askar C.V. an easy tap in at the far post.

Despite lacking a cutting edge in their play Air India managed to get in front in the 34th minute and kept their lead into half time as RCF showed little signs of a comeback.

In the second half, RCF were breached once again from a set play when Wayne Waz sent a glancing header from a free kick into the bottom corner in the 51st minute to double Air India’s lead.  RCF never showed glimpses of a recovery after going two down as Air India kept the pressure on them.

Air India scored again in the 70th minute, when a beautifully worked move saw skipper Vijith Shetty make a run into the box before he toe poked his shot into the net for Air India’s third goal. Six minutes later, it was Anderson D’Sa made it 4-0 in Air India’s favour as RCF struggled to prevent the flow of Air India’s attacks.

Ashkar C.V further compounded RCF’s woes when he netted his second of the game and put the Champions 5-0 up. However against the run of play RCF managed to grab a consolation when Jagdish Madada put te Chembur outfit on the scoresheet in the 85th minute. But just two minutes later, skipper Vijith Shetty restored their five goal advantage with a long range drive which flew into the net.

However RCF were to get another goal in the 90th minute of the game when Kevin Patrick scored for RCF to make it a full time score of Air India 6-2 RCF.