Pritam Singh’s hat-trick gives Neroca huge Imphal Derby win
In the reverse leg of the Imphal Derby and in front of a crowd of 34,971 spectators at the floodlit Khuman Lampak Stadium, Neroca FC cruised to a 5-0 win over TRAU FC, owing to a hat-trick by Pritam Singh and two assists by Imran Khan. The win re-energized Neroca’s Hero I-league campaign, who now have 11 points from 11 games and are placed eighth on the table.
The first half of the match saw a lot of the play in the mid-field. The main moment of the half came in the 17th minute when Neroca’s Ousmane Diawara received a beautifully lofted through-ball from the midfield and TRAU’s Sandeep Singh took one for the team and handled the ball to stop Diawara from being through on goal. The handball cost the team as referee Pratik Mondal immediately took out the red card.
Being down to 10 men with more than 70 minutes to play, the game was looking like shifting completely towards Neroca FC. Philip Tettey, after the sending off, took the free-kick from outside the box but it was straight at the TRAU keeper.
The remainder of the half saw Neroca FC not being able to make the most of the chances that they had generated with two clear ones for Tettey. Trau’s defence wasn’t ready to pave an easy way for the home team and the half ended with both the teams’ level at 0-0.
The second half resumed with Neroca looking like a completely different team. They soon put the foot on the pedal. The first goal came from none other than Philip Tettey in the 50th minute, who got a square ball at the edge of the TRAU box by Imran Khan. Tettey twisted his body and unleashed a thunderous strike which rocketed into the top right corner of the net.
Tettey’s goal opened the floodgates and what followed was a flurry of goals. It was now Jiteshwor Singh with the through ball and Imran Khan, who was the provider in the last goal, became the scorer as he completed a clinical move to hand Neroca a 2-0 lead with 58 minutes on the clock.
It was then Pritam Singh for Neroca who got in the act. It was Khan’s ball that bisected the defence and led to Singh being one-on-one with the TRAU keeper, as he dribbled past Mithun Samanta in the goal and completed a calm finish in the 60th minute.
For his second, Pritam Singh in the 66th minute got the ball from Imran Khan, beat Tonmoy Ghosh for pace and his shot easily found the back of the net. With this goal, Neroca was now 4-0 up.
Pritam Singh, having scored his brace, was looking set for a hat-trick when Singam Subash Singh cut inside and gave a perfect cross to the Pritam. It was an open goal but the forward fluffed his lines.
In the first minute of added time though, Tettey was again through on the goal and had a clear shot but his attempt was stopped by Samanta. The rebound fell to Pritam Singh, who made no mistake this time and netted the ball with a powerful shot and thus completing his first hat-trick in the Hero I-League and the Imphal derby.
The match finally ended with Neroca FC winning the game 5-0 and Ningthoujam Pritam Singh walked away with the Hero of the Match award for his three goals.
We would love to hear your Feedback on your Football Counter experience
Show off your Indian and European football knowledge with the football fantasy game from Playerzpot. Download the App with our special Footballcounter referral code, start playing and win cash daily.
Download app here: Link or click on the image below
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football.
Maharashtra Squad for Swami Vivekananda U20 National Football Championship announced
Maharashtra Squad for Swami Vivekananda U20 National Football Championship announced Maharashtra State U-20 Men’s Football Team which will participate in the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men’s National Football Championship to be…
MFA / MFA Elite Premier League
MH Oranje FC finish runner-up in Mumbai Premier League
Aimar Adam’s second-half brace secures MH Oranje FC a 2-0 win over MIllat as they finish Runner-Up of Mumbai Premier League 2023-24 season. In a closely contested match in the…
Subrata Pal: The playing standard of the Reliance Foundation Development League has improved with every passing year
Anticipation mounts as Reliance Foundation Development League 2023-24 semi-finalists set the stage for the National Championship – Mumbai, May 6, 2024: The Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) 2023-24 gears up for…
Mumbai City FC crowned ISL Cup Winners after remarkable 3-1 comeback win against Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Mumbai City FC crowned ISL Cup Winners Kolkata, May 4: Mumbai City FC beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium to emerge as the Indian Super…
MFA / MFA Elite Premier League
MH Oranje FC Seals Penultimate Game with Thrilling 2-1 Win Over Reliance FYC
Yogesh Kadam’s First-Half Brace Propels MH Oranje FC Toward a Strong Season Finish. MH Oranje FC clinched a significant 2-1 win over Reliance FYC in the penultimate game of the…
SSE BFC to conduct trials for U9 to U17 age group players
SSE BFC Soccer School will be conducting fresh trials this month for players aged below 17 to be part of their football program SSE BFC Soccer Schools is a football…
India Khelo Football Season 3 Trials for Mumbai and Thane are here
India Khelo Football (IKF) is back with Season 3 of its widely acclaimed trials with an aim to cover more than 50 cities this time around. After the resounding success…
Feature / Recommended / Trials
Mastering the Art of Football Trials: Key Pre-Trial Factors to Keep in Mind
Football trials are a critical juncture for aspiring players to showcase their skills and secure a spot in a team. To maximize your chances of success, it’s essential to tailor your approach based on your playing position as well as keeping in mind a few pre-trial factors.
Somaiya Sports Academy to conduct trials for MFA 2nd Division campaign
Somaiya Sports Academy is looking for passionate young football players for the Somaiya Sports Academy Football Team to compete in the MFA 2nd Division League 2023-2024. If selected, you will…
BFC Soccer Schools – Mumbai to conduct trials for U14 & U16 Girls
The BFC Soccer Schools Elite team girls’ trials are coming up in search of talented players from the U14 to U16 (Born 2009 and after) age groups into the club’s…
Opportunity to make the team: U.K.M. Kothrud FC conducts selection trials for girls team
Pune-based U.K.M. Kothrud FC has announced that they will be conducting selection trials for their girl’s team on 15th January 2023 The club welcomes all players to come and showcase…
The Sunday Football League Season 4 is back
The Sunday Football League is back with its fourth season, and it’s shaping up to be the best one yet. With eight talented teams competing at the Kes Kandivali turf, there…
BFC Soccer Schools Elite team trials in Feb
Bengaluru FC launched their Mumbai program last season with the Soccer Schools and Elite programs with its local partner Soccer Schools of Excellence (SSE). Bengaluru Football Club is a professional club…
India Khelo Football Season 2 Trials in Mumbai: A Chance to Kickstart Your Football Career
After conducting trials in 34 cities & villages across India, India Khelo Football is coming to Mumbai to hunt talent on 7th January. India Khelo Football kickstarted its season 2…
MFA / MFA Elite Premier League / Trials
Mumbai Customs to conduct trials for Elite League
Former champions Mumbai Customs will be holding open trials for the upcoming MFA Elite Corporate League (Elite Division) The 2019 MFA Elite Division champions Mumbai Customs are conducting open trials…