20th November 2017, Mumbai: M.S Police began their campaign yesterday in a tricky encounter against Union Bank of India (UBI) in the MDFA – Mumbai District Football Association Elite Division clash at Cooperage Stadium. In what turned out to be a one-sided affair, in-form striker Scott Ray D’Souza scored four past M.S Police to record their second win in three games.

It took Union Bank of India (UBI) just two minutes to open the scoring when Scott Ray D’Souza fired in a thunderous shot in the back of the net. Six minutes later, the tall and talismanic striker increased UBI’s lead by two goals to leave their counterpart M.S Police in disbelief and agony.

Despite being 2-0 up, the approach by UBI players didn’t change as they kept looking for more goals. Attacking midfielder Valentine Pereira, Ranjeet Pandre and Shanon combined well and worked as a proper attacking unit to feed Scott upfront.

In the 15th minute, Scott completed his hat-trick, the first of Elite Division, with a close-range strike. M.S Police responded well after conceding the third goal but couldn’t manage to handle UBI’s pressure in the final third. On the stroke of half-time, Valentine Pereira got on the scoresheet with a delicate goal to wrap up the game in the first-half itself.

The second-half started where it had left off. Scott Ray D’Souza rounded the M.S Police goalkeeper Tousif Ansari to take his goal tally to six goals from three games which is a remarkable feat. Tousif later saved Shamer Swamy’s penalty but didn’t manage to stop UBI’s Kshitij to score the sixth goal of the game in the 88th minute.

Undoubtedly, a resounding victory by Union Bank of India (UBI) with an impressive attacking display. They have been surely a side to watch so far in Elite Division. Not to forget, their defense also played a key part yesterday with Sherwyn Chang, Sandesh Puthran, Riddic Carlo and Siddharth Shetty delivering a stand-out performance to keep M.S Police shut.

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The match started off slowly. Both the sides took their time to settle into the game but in terms of physicality, the first-half saw a number of tackles and challenges flying in both the ends. The first genuine opportunity came midway into the first-half.

Union Bank of India’s Sherwyn Chang almost opened the scoring when his powerful shot was denied by Western Railway’s Goalkeeper Jagroop Singh. A few moments later, Valentine Pereira also fancied his luck, which was once again thwarted by Jagroop.

With the first-half closing in, the deadlock was finally broken when UBI’s Goalkeeper Prathamesh Baban made a costly error as he, unfortunately, let the ball slip and into the path of prowling Reuben D’Souza who comfortably clipped in the opening goal of the match.

The second-half was no less than the first in terms of match tempo and grit of both the teams. In search of an equalizer, UBI almost levelled the score through Siddharth Shetty who combined superbly with Sherwyn Chang on the right flank.

UBI consistent pressure on Western Railway finally paid off in the 81st minute of the match when defender Prabal handled the ball inside the penalty box. Referee Dinesh Yadav pointed towards the spot as Striker Scott D’Souza stepped ahead to take the following penalty.

The number 10 made no mistake as he comfortably placed his penalty in the back of the net to level the score. UBI’s Substitute Bryce Miranda made a terrific impact after coming on as wrecked havoc on the left flank with his quick feet and pace.

In the stoppage time, Bryce cut aside from the left flank and delivered a dangerous ball across the goal to find Dion Menezes, who tapped in from close range to snatch all three points from their counterpart Western Railway. The curtain raiser of the Elite Division itself proved to be the thrilling match, surely, it’s a first of many.

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The match started on a bright note with both the sides took their time to settle into the game. The first opportunity of the match came when Union Bank of India’s Vinod Pandey came agonizingly close when his long-range shot was brilliantly kept out by KSA’s goalkeeper Narindra Singh.

UBI did keep the majority of the ball possession but failed to deliver in the final third when it mattered the most. Apart from Vinod Pandey, UBI’s Valentine Pereira and Shanon Pereira both had a fine game overall.

Vinod was undoubtedly Union Bank of India’s most effective player yesterday who created a lot of opportunities but UBI’s attackers failed to capitalize on the half chances, which eventually came back to haunt them.

The second-half proved to be a dull half with neither of the sides creating opportunities. Just when the match was heading towards a draw, Michael Idewele scored a fine goal which gave KSA a sudden breakthrough as it also turned out to be the decisive goal.

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Union Bank of India 5-0 West Zone United

A stellar display from Union Bank of India left West Zone United speechless after thumping the Super Division side 5-0 in their one sided clash at St. Xavier’s Ground, Parel.

A goal each by Rohel Shaikh, Leander Dharmai, Vinod Pandey, Mohammad Ishaq and Digvijay Yadav send the Elite Division side into the last eight, which will be played tomorrow.

HDFC 2-0 Century Rayon

Century Rayon suffered a shock defeat as they went down 2-0 against a clinical HDFC side. Jisto Fonseca and Leroy Almeida scored for HDFC which proved to be enough to prevail into the next round.

Century Rayon did played well, but they were not upto the mark in the attacking third which came back to haunt them later.

Air India 0-0 Dena Bank (Air India wins 4-2 on penalties) 

Air India, the giants of Mumbai Football had to go through penalty shootout in order to defeat a determined Dena Bank side.

At the end of the normal time, both the teams were goalless which took the match into penalties, and it was Air India who held their nerves to qualify for the quarter-finals stage.

It was Dena Bank’s goalkeepr Asif Ansari’s brilliant saves and reflexes which kept the score goalless, although Asif failed to emulate the same display in the penalty shootout.

Dena Bank missed two of their penalties, whereas Air India converted all the four penalties with Shravan Shetty scoring the deciding one.

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More than a month back on 18th March, an injury time goal in the title decider match by Mumbai F.C’s Rohit Mirza spoiled Air India’s party as O.N.G.C were declared as the new holders of MDFA Elite Division title.

Air India just needed a draw from this game to prevent O.N.G.C from leapfrogging them but luck wasn’t on their side at Cooperage that night. With this loss Air India slipped to 3rd with Mumbai F.C moving one place up to 2nd.

There were upsets pulled off, records broken, and even standouts performance throughout the season but only eleven players has made it in the team of the season, and deservedly so.

Goalkeeper

Sheldon Raghawan (Union Bank of India) – UBI had the 5th best defense of the league, it wouldn’t be fair if Sheldon didn’t get the credits he deserved. His reflexes, saves, distribution was second to none. Even though UBI leaked goals at the back, if not for Sheldon they would have conceded a lot of goals and could have finish their season a lot lower in the final standings.

Defenders

Ashish Pawaskar (Union Bank of India) – Another UBI player in the list and the final one too. Ashish’s game reading was top notch throughout the season, along with his game sense Ashish’s hard tackles will be surely remember by his opponent players. The no. 21 was the link between UBI’s defense and midfield. Apart from playing at the back, he also played as a defensive midfielder when needed.

Santosh Koli (Air India) – Like any other season, Air India had the best defense of the season. Conceding only 9 times in all, the mighty Air India proved how much essential an experience defender in a side is. Santosh Koli is one of the most experienced player in the whole league. Defending has been an art for Koli who has not only set an example but also proved how defending can win you matches. His agility, positioning, aggressiveness has earned him a place in the team of the season.

Wayne Vaz (Air India) – Santosh Koli’s partner in crime, Wayne Vaz. The duo has set the bar very high for anyone to overtake. Along with Koli, Wayne too had a tremendous season overall. Top notch man-marking, game sense, tackles and becoming a threat on set pieces, these are the qualities Wayne inhered.

Joshua Vessoakar (Mumbai Customs) – Undoubtedly Mumbai Customs best defender of this season. Getting past him was not as easy as it seemed to be. His defending abilities helped Mumbai Customs to concede only 12 goals in total, same as Mumbai F.C and O.N.G.C.

Midfielders/Attacking Midfielders

Raynier Fernandes (Air India) – The attacking midfielder is the reason behind Air India’s destructive attacking display. Raynier scored five goals this season and also provided couple of goals, his link-up play with his teammates has been top notch. Raynier’s quick feet, dribbling skills has already proved that he is very skillful. His performance this season also earned him a spot in Maharashtra’s team who reached Santosh Trophy final where they eventually lost to Services.

Taisuke Matsugae (Mumbai F.C) – The Captain of Mumbai F.C has also made his name in the team of the season after a splendid performance in Elite Division. Despite playing less number of matches, the Japanese midfielder scored six times and assisted thrice for the Yellow Submarine. His presence on the field has helped Mumbai F.C in both domestic and as well as I-league games.

Aaron D’Costa (Air India) – Just like his teammate Raynier, even Aaron has proved to be one of Air India’s best player this season. Aaron orchestrates Air India’s midfield along with Raynier to find spaces behind their opponent’s defense with their sharp vision. Aaron has the pace, skills and game sense which has made him a good prospect. The attacking midfielder also represented Maharashtra in Santosh Trophy.

Deepak Irmali (Mumbai Customs) – Easily Mumbai Customs best player this season, Deepak Irmali has proved his team and management that he can step up on big stage too. Playing on the flanks for Mumbai Customs, Deepak helped his side finish in top 5 this season where he found the back of the net six times, more than any Mumbai Customs player. His crossing and vision is has been a key element for both, him and his club.

Forwards/Strikers

Parminder Singh (O.N.G.C) – The joint top scorer of this season’s Elite Division has proved to be a potent threat for his opponent for throughout the season. The lanky striker has netted eight times this season where four of them were scored against G.M Sports in a single match. Parminder is a complete fox in the box player as he is very lethal when inside the box.

Ennock Annan (O.N.G.C) – Parminder’s partner in crime, Ennock also made his presence felt on the field for O.N.G.C after scoring seven goals in this season of Elite Division. His sudden burst of acceleration has left many defenders behind this season. Apart from his pace, Ennock’s finishing has been fantastic for the whole season. If not for him and Parminder, O.N.G.C wouldn’t have clinched the title, that’s for sure.

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Arish Sutaria broke the deadlock on the half an hour mark to put Kenkre FC in front, but an unlikely goal by inform striker Pratik Koli late in the second-half secured UBI with a point.

It was second time in the row that Kenkre FC has failed to defend their lead. They were 2-1 up against Air India till the 85th minute in their last match, but went on to concede two late goals in the end.

Both Union Bank of India and Kenkre FC had a shaky start. It took a while for them to settle into the game on a heated evening.

Kenkre FC got the breakthrough on the 30th minute. Yao Bernard brilliantly found Arish Sutaria with a lobbed pass, the number 12 comfortably finished the lobbed ball after controlling from his chest to give Kenkre a much needed lead.

Union Bank of India went into the break with a goal down in hope to get things back on track in the next fourty-five minutes.

UBI had a good second-half compared to Kenkre, who looked a bitty shaky at the back. Shravan Shetty and Pratik Koli kept on creating havoc for UBI.

UBI got good amount of chances to score the equalizer. Substitute Ramesh Singh made an fantastic impact on the game when he was brought on midway into the second-half.

The all important equalizer finally came on the 84th minute. Ramesh Singh found Pratik Koli with a fantastic ball, the number 10 brilliantly controlled and squeezed his shot beside the Kenkre FC’s goalkeeper Narinder Singh to level the score.

The last 10 minutes were dominated by UBI who were desperate to score the winner. The Referee blew the final whistle as both the outfit had to share the spoils.

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Taisuke’s sublime finish midway into the first-half proved to be the only goal of this quarter-final clash.

Union Bank of India gave tough fight to Mumbai FC in both the half as the victors were finding it hard to penetrate into Union Bank of India’s defense. Mumbai FC, who has been scoring for fun this season were kept quiet for the majority of the match.

Although Taisuke’s goal on the 22nd minute gave Mumbai FC a much needed lead, Union Bank of India kept threatening Mumbai’s back four.

Just minutes after Taisuke’s goal, Sandesh Gadkari could have doubled Mumbai’s lead.

Japanese recruit Taisuke found Sandesh unmarked on the edge of the box with a delightful through ball, the number 14 cut inside and launched a powerful shot which was tipped over the bar by Union Bank of India’s goalkeeper Sheldon Raghwan.

Union Bank of India started the second-half from where they left. The Bankers had a much better and improved 45 minutes.

Mumbai FC did got enough number of chances in the second-half but their poor finishing kept haunting them for the rest of the half.

Mumbai’s striker Sandesh Gadkari saw his header rattled the post on the 69th minute, had his header went in it should have seal the match for Mumbai FC right there.

Four minutes later, N.P Pradeep too fancied his shot from distance which sailed over the bar.

Union Bank of India’s Valentine Pereira, Nascimento Santiago and Royston D’Souza were proving out to be UBI’s standout players. Mumbai’s back four were finding it difficult to stop their build-up as the Bankers were geared up for the equalizer.

This made Mumbai FC’s back four to press UBI’s attackers to restrict them, and it did succeed in the late stages of the match.

Union Bank of India’s substitute Tejas Raut and Mrunal Tandel tried to make the impact upfront but Mumbai held their nerves to overcome the Bankers.

With this win, Mumbai FC has qualifed for the Semi-Finals where they will meet Mumbai Customs on 28th November.

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Indian Navy had to wait until 39th minute to take a deserving lead. Skipper GPK Sharma found the net from the edge of the box as his loose shot somehow beat the Custom’s goalkeeper.

Although Mumbai Customs equalized in the second-half. Rinaldo Fernandes showed a striker instinct when he brilliantly placed his effort into the net from Deepak’s cross.

Indian Navy continued where they left as they dominated the first-half. With Skipper GPK Sharma, Biplab Dhar and Bibake Thapa in fine touch, Mumbai Customs goalkeeper Lihaz Kaya was tested number of times in the first 45 minutes.

The deadlock was broken on 39th minute, when Indian Navy’s GPK Sharma saw his loose shot somehow beating Lihaz Koya as Indian Navy took a deserving lead.

Mumbai Custom’s star striker Rinaldo Fernandes had a fantastic game. Late in the first-half, Rinaldo’s left footed curler was well kept out by Indian Navy’s goalkeeper Vishnu.

Indian Navy went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The second-half was dominated by Mumbai Customs. Rinaldo Fernandes and Deepak Irmali’s duo caused serious threats to Indian Navy’s back four.

On 54th minute, Rinaldo Fernandes delivered a moment of magic. The number 10 danced past two Navy’s defender with ease, and popped a dangerous low cross into the box but Hekmat Singh unfortunately slipped which wasted a brilliant move for the Customs.

Four minutes later, Rinaldo Fernandes finally delivered a huge blow to Indian Navy when he wonderfully placed his effort into the box from Deepak Irmali’s low cross.

Mumbai Customs started to press Indian Navy, and almost found the winner when Deepak Irmali’s low cross was once again met by Rinaldo whose shot went just off the right hand post.

Both the teams were tied at 1-1 and had to be separated in the penalty shootout.

After 16 penalties, Mumbai Custom’s goalkeeper Lihaz Kaya proved to be the hero as he dived to his right to save Vishnu T’s spot kick to send Customs into the last four.

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