Prabhakar Shanmugam’s 12th minute strike coupled with Sachin Narsappa and Aaron Machado’s goals in the 54th and 55th minutes helped RBI close off their league engagements on a positive note.

Chetan Jagnade and Nehal Desane did reduce arrears for Soccer XI with goals in the 56th and 69th minutes respectively but it was a bit too much for them in the end.

RBI’s main man Rolfred Coutinho didn’t play thanks to a suspension but they still did enough to close out the game within the hour mark. Shanmugam cleverly broke past the off side trap before slotting it past the on rushing goalkeeper while Narsappa’s goal was a textbook header off a corner.

Machado later slammed home an unstoppable shot to put the game beyond Soccer XI’s reach. It was game over within the hour mark and RBI was cruising home with the three points! But there was more drama as Jagdane and Desane sparked off a mini revival for Soccer XI.

If Jagdane’s effort was a classic smash and grab them Desane ran all of 30 yards from the left wing and slammed home to reduce the deficit. The score was 3-2 and Soccer XI suddenly raised visions of a comeback!

But all those efforts went to waste when Sachin Shrivastav was given his marching orders in the 85th minute which effectively ended any hope of salvaging at least a draw. A man down and with only five minutes to go…it was curtains for Soccer XI! They did have a few chances in the end but RBI held firm to close out the game at 3-2.

If it weren’t for that sending off Soccer XI still would’ve had a fair chance to salvage a point. It was a classic case of what may have been for Soccer XI in the end! RBI’s experience helped them clinch the three points despite missing their talisman skipper.

Soccer XI on the other hand looked jaded and out of ideas and never were really in the game prior to their second half goal burst.

Also Read: Seventh heaven for Kenkre in PIFA demolition

Also Read: Old guard to the fore as KSA see off CFCI

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Though Kaiwalya Tare opened the scoring for PIFA it soon faded into oblivion in wake of the goal rush that was to follow from Kenkre.

Siddharth Colaco’s goal in the 15th minute triggered off PIFA’s collapse as Rohan Shukla and Shaun Fernandes hit home in the 39th and 45th minutes respectively and ensured that Kenkre went 3-1 up at the break.

Next up was the Bhavnani show as he slammed in goals in the 58th, 64th and 74th minutes respectively to cap off a wonderful solo effort.

Not to forget Lester Fernandez’s 73rd minute strike which was sandwiched in between!

PIFA had clearly run out of gas (and ideas!) and was clueless throughout the second half.

They looked like a team shorn of ideas and couldn’t finish off the half decent efforts presented to them in front of goal.

It was that lack of killer instinct which proved to be their undoing in the end. They couldn’t be blamed for wishing for a brilliant effort like Bhavnani’s which could have at least reduced the margin of defeat!

They tried to function as a well drilled unit but all of it was laid to waste thanks to pure individual brilliance from Bhavani.

His hat trick was undoubtedly the highlight in a game which entertained all and sundry from start to finish.

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A second half brace by Roger Sam coupled with a 26th minute goal from Sanchit Singh was the cornerstone for the win.

Aman Gaikwad did pull one back for CFCI in the 61st minute but it proved to be a mere consolation in the end.

Though CFCI had started off well it was KSA who drew first blood as Singh hit home off Nascimentos’ assist. It surely made up for him missing a gilt-edged chance just a few minutes back!

It was soon 2-0 in the 48th minute as Roger headed in off a superb free kick off former India veteran Steven Dias from the right flank.

That goal was enough proof that experience is surely an asset for any team!

Also, Joe Paul was superb under the bar for KSA as he pulled off a string of fantastic saves to keep CFCI at bay.

The first half ended 2-0 to KSA and though Gaikwad did reduce the deficit later on still there was absolutely no doubt as to which team was going home with the honors.

CFCI battled hard but they were up against an hardened outfit whose defending resembled a brick wall at times!

The quartet of Nascimento, Dias, Paul and Sam rose to the occasion and delivered when it mattered the most.

Of course, Sam’s goal in the 90th minute was the icing on the cake as he hit home off a rebound and finished things off.

CFCI did have their moments though. Pratik Koli’s near goal miss from the right in the 74th minute proved that they did have the ammunition to threaten and score against the more experienced teams.

They also defended well for most part of the game and ensured that the margin of defeat was only 3-1.

They surely can take heart from this performance and use it as a springboard for the future.

A battling performance against a team chock-a-bloc with hardened veterans can be a catalyst for greater things to come!

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The first half was an even battle as both teams fought it out and did not spare an inch. As the mercury rose, both teams slugged it out and tried to find gaps in either defence. Given the way things unfolded in the first half fans may have been forgiven for thinking that the game was headed for a stalemate!

Akshay Saptoji was superb for Central Bank at the back. His game was an education for any aspiring defender!

Piyush Koli was instrumental in setting up most of Dena Banks’ attacks. Just when the game was meandering towards a goalless draw in popped Ansari who scored off an opportunistic header from a corner in the 72nd minute.

That goal was the much needed oxygen for Dena Bank who grew in confidence and piled on the pressure. They struck again through Mascrenhas in the 88th minute to effectively shut out Central Bank from the contest.

It was a moment of magic from Ansari which opened the floodgates for Dena Bank as he ghosted past his marker to hit home the decisive goal. Central Bank’s citadel had been breached and they suddenly looked jittery!

It resulted in another goal as their back line crumbled and gave Mascrenhas enough space to hammer home the final nail in the coffin. The 2-0 scoreline surely doesn’t reflect as to how hard Dena Bank had to struggle to pick up the three points! If it weren’t for Ansari’s goal the game surely was headed to a goalless draw!

Central Bank can take consolation from the fact that they made their opponents slog for the entirety of the game.

A pity that they couldn’t replicate their well drilled defensive performance in attack as well!

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Sellebrity looked good enough to get three points as they dominated the early part of the game.

They utilized the right flank to good effect as superb passing and off-the-ball runs carved Salsette’s defence open. Salsette deployed the off-side trap and it worked wonders!

Sellebrity was brilliant in the midfield as they strung together passes with regularity. Their one-touch passing had Salsette in knots! They utilized both flanks to good effect.

Sellebrity for all their dominance couldn’t break down Salsette in the first half which finished at 0-0.

Singh hit home the winner in the dying moments and went on a celebration spree with ecstatic teammates!

The red card to Salsette in the 85th minute looked irrelevant post that goal!

Also Read: Mumbai Strikers holds KSA 1-1

Also Read: Shahbaz Pathan nets hat-trick in Central Railway’s 4-1 win – Football Counter

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The message: the game had been ‘abandoned’!

Mr. John Almeida (owner, GMSC) said refusal to play the required fourth referee (official) led to a conflict of interest. That led to the game being ‘abandoned’!

He said that the trend of playing only three match referees or officials must change.

The referees (and match officials) on the other hand refused to comment on the issue!

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Also Read: Tricky but still very possible! A look at India’s Knockout round chances 

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Yusuf Banky, who impressed with terrific box-to-box running and passing, was the standout player for Sellebrity. His pinpoint long-ranged passes carved open the FSI defence on numerous occasions.

Though the game finished 1-1 in the first-half still Sellebrity were the dominant team throughout.

Sellebrity scored through Kurban Shaikh (5th minute) and Ricky Bagade (69th minute) while Abhishek Patil (45th minute) hit home for FSI.

Shaikh latched on to a long-ball and beat off pressure from his marker before opening the scoring.

FSI on the other hand couldn’t score despite having the goalkeeper off his line on one occasion!

They later made up for that miss as Patil scored off a header right on the stroke of half-time.

Sellebrity created the most chances in the first-half despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise.

Both teams went into attack mode in a bid for an early goal in the second-half.

Excellent work by the FSI back-line went to naught as a defensive mix-up from a corner allowed Bagade to smash home a volley off a rebound. That goal proved to be the match winner!

Sellebrity did press on for a third goal but were denied by some resolute defending by FSI.

FSI went for the jugular in the dying minutes but the best they could muster was a tame effort.

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Also Read: AFC ASIAN CUP: Blue Tigers do their bit for these special champions!

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Of course, Rinaldo Fernandes – the Robin to Dias’ Batman   — also impressed with his pace, work-rate, and dribbling. The warning signs were there for Railways when their goalkeeper made a hash of a clearance early in the first half. And they did concede when Dias smashed home a free kick in the 12th minute. It was one-way traffic as Air India went into offensive mode!

The second goal came when Scott D’Souza hit home a low free kick in the 25th minute. Also, Fernandes’ clever dummy during the free kick ritual caught the eye! Of course, his slaloming runs from the left flank had the Railways defenders in disarray. One such run allowed him to cross to Sumesh Nair who scored the third goal in the 30th minute.

As the first-half ended…Railways looked down and out! Come the second-half and Air India persisted with a high-pressing and attacking game. And it paid off when Dias tapped home a rebound in the 56th minute after the Railways defenders had failed to clear a cross. Railways did get a consolation goal when Chetan Waghela scored off a header in the 73th minute.

And as Dias glanced home the fifth goal in the 75th minute…it proved to be the icing on the cake! Dias’ finishing and Fernandes’ bull-terrier-like approach made the difference for Air India.

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Air India is marching towards the game on the back of a mammoth 8-0 triumph over Kenkre FC. Prolific and easily the best striker in Mumbai right now, Pratik Koli bagged a superb hat-trick while former Mumbai FC’s midfielder Steven Dias netted a brace in what was Air India’s best performance of the season.

The fascinating thing about Air India this season is their young core of players has stepped up when mattered. The likes of Advait Shinde, Sagar Khanvilkar, Shubham Mane, Kiran Pandhare has been very instrumental in Air India’s hot form. Throughout the season, Pratik Koli has been getting a brilliant service from his teammates which is one of the sole reason behind Pratik’s lethal form.

Under the guidance of experienced players like Santosh Koli, Vijith Shetty and Steven Dias, this side has excel quickly and quite effectively. Tomorrow, it will be a good test for these young core of players when they will be up against a side who recently hit their peak form.

Nascimento Santiago, Tarique Ansari, Roger Sam are few of the players Air India will be looking to stop in their quest to strengthen their position at the top of Elite Division table. KSA is not having a good season, they are currently in a safe position but they are eager to end their season on a high note with only couple of games to go.

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Union Bank of India could have scored four to five goals had not for their silly mistakes in front of the post. Meanwhile, Mumbai Strikers made few errors in the last quarter of the game which came back to haunt them. The first-half was completely dominated by Union Bank of India. Winger Bryce Miranda, midfielder Valentine Pereira and Suraj Negi combined brilliantly to create acres of space in Mumbai Strikers’ half.

Bryce was sensational throughout the game. The left footed winger played on both the flanks and created dozens of opportunities in the first half. One of his powerful shot was superbly kept out by Mumbai Strikers’ goalkeeper Sumeet Salian.

He also denied Valentine’s powerful volley and Vinod Pandey’s effort in the first half. At the stroke of half-time, UBI’s right back Sherwyn Chang suffered a injury while releasing the ball who had to be stretchered off later. UBI missed several chances in the second half too. Valentine missed a sitter when he blazed his effort wide in a one-on-one situation with Mumbai Strikers’ Sumeet Salian. The deadlock was finally broken in the 52nd minute when Ranjeet Pandre calmly placed his effort past Sumeet Salian with a delicate finish.

The Strikers’ pushed forward in numbers but they were not able to keep their composure in front of goal. Ranjeet hit the final nail in the coffin after defender Rakesh Patne’s error inside his own half gave Ranjeet an easy opportunity who made no mistake to seal a fine win.

Also Read: FC Goa co-owner Virat Kohli launches the Forca Goa Foundation

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