RCF and Western Railways were meeting for a second time in a month, having previously crossed swords in the Quarter Finals of the Nadkarni Cup earlier in the month. RCF were the winners that day with a late winner from Ubaid Ansari.

The game started slowly with both teams taking their time to settle into the game. It was Western railways who made the first real opening, when Arul Pawar played wide to Clayton D’Souya whose cross was cleared in time as Western Railways’ Charanjeet Singh tamely shot wide after latching on to the clearance.
Four minutes late it was RCF with their first real goal mouth action as Mainilungboy’s cross was headed over by RCF striker Raju Meetei. Mainilungboy was getting some joy on the left flank in the opening minutes.

The game was tight with both the teams giving very little away in the opening twenty minutes. The best chance of the game came in the 26th minute, when winger Mainilungboy’s shot went inches wide of the left hand side post. A minute later RCF threatened again as an intricate piece of play saw an RCF forward break into the box, but the Western Railways goalkeeper Grinto Antao did well to come of his line and collect.
RCF were getting plenty of joy going forward as Grinto Antao was called upon again in the 33rd minute when he brilliantly saved Raju Meetei’s effort on goal. But he was not be denied six minutes later, when his shot from the edge of the box went through the legs of the defender and into the right bottom corner. It was a brilliant finish from Raju Meetei and RCF were deservedly in front.
RCF missed a golden opportunity to double their lead in the first minute of stoppage time when Shahbaz Khan’s run was beautifully picked out by a chipped pass from the RCF midfield. But Shabaz Khan blasted over. It was a poor miss from the RCF forward.

Referee Rosario blew for half time as RCF went into the break in front. RCF were slightly the better team and deserved their lead. Western Railways needed to see more of the ball in the second half.

Western Railways made a bright start to proceedings in the second half with two corners in the opening two minutes. Western Railways’ Binoop M.K made a brilliant run and shot took a slight deflection as the RCF keeper made the adjustment to collect the ball in the 53rd minute.

Western Railways goalkeeper did brilliantly to punch clear a cross from Shahbaz Khan in the 61st minute, who was played in on the right flank by a through ball from Rambo Singh. The Western Railways goalkeeper was having a good day at the office.

RCF doubled their advantage seven minutes later, as Angaupu’s brilliant strike found the back of the net despite the Western Railways’ goalkeeper getting a hand to it. All of Grinto Anato’s work went in vain as he allowed the shot to go in. In this case, he should have done much better.
RCF were finding spaces as Western Railways went chasing the game. Raju Meetei did brilliantly to set up Rambo Singh who put his shot wide in the 71st minute. Good play from Raju Meetei though to create the opening.

Western Railways nearly pulled one back in the 73rd minute when Charanjeet Singh’s free kick was brilliantly kept out by RCF goalkeeper Vikarm Singh with his toes. At the other end, Grinto Antao again did brilliantly to deny Raju Meetei as he came off his line to tackle the forward at the edge of the box.
RCF substitute G.Kirean easily went past the last Western Railways defender but he fired his shot wide in the 77th minute. Poor miss especially after such a good burst of pace. Kirean went for power instead of placement and that was his undoing.

RCF are forced into making a change in the 88th minute as the injured Rambo Singh is replaced by Prakash Sonawane. RCF see out the remainder of the game to collect an important three points.
RCF were good value for their victory as they posed a constant threat to the Western Railways goal.

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The start of the game was delayed by more than an hour because of presiding events, but the game eventually kicked off as KSA started the brighter of the two sides, working the Western Railways’ goalkeeper Nisar Khan who punched away a dangerous looking cross in the 3rd minute of the game.

Two minutes later, there was a stoppage in the game as one of the lights went off, but the officials quickly addressed the issue and play resumed with the Western Railways keeper on the toes again as he cleared a long ball aimed at KSA striker Arihi Uchela in the 7th minute.

The first real attempt on goal came two minutes later when Arihi Uchela played in winger Valentine Perreira who unleashed a ferocious shot at the Western Railways’ goal. But goalkeeper Nisar Khan was equal to the task again as he saved brilliantly to deny KSA.

A minute later, he is called upon again as he saves from Arihi Uchela. Western Railways conjure their first real opening of the game in the 15th minute, when Somi P.T shoots straight at the KSA goalkeeper after meeting Prakash Patil’s cross.

Western Railways buoyed by the previous attempt almost take the lead two minutes later when Linekar Machado is picked out by a brilliant long ball from defense to send him through on goal, only for the former I-League star to fire wide. The best chance of the game had fallen the Western Railways’ way but they failed to capitalize.

After a bright start by KSA, Western Railways had found their feet and gave KSA some problems. But overall it was a fairly even game. In the 27th minute Keniertan of Western Railways forced a double save out of the KSA keeper.

The half drew to a close with an injury to KSA goalkeeper Manish Kajania after he collided with a Western Railways forward before collecting a loose pass. But he recovered as the referee blew for half time.

The second half had a similar pattern wherein both sides worked the opposition keeper briefly in the opening minutes of the second period. With very few clear cut chances, the game started getting physical and more of a midfield battle.

KSA’s Valentine Perreira sparked into life in the 52nd minute when he went past the opposition left back with a great piece of skill to set up striker Arihi Uchela who shot over. It was breathtaking play for Valentine Perreira who was having a good evening so far.

Two minutes later, Western Railways’ Somi P.T. sent his shot across the face of the goal. Both teams were sensing a winner and the game suddenly had a lot of life about it as we approached the end of the second half.

But neither side could break the deadlock as we headed for the penalty shootout.
Western Railways were the first to shoot and Somi P.T. stepped up for them and slotted home the spot kick in the top right corner as the keeper dived the other way. But KSA failed to level the score as substitute Shabbir Shaikh sent his kick wide. Western Railways found themselves 2-0 up as Somnath Mandal scored in the bottom right corner giving the KSA shot stopper no chance.

Umer Fabian restored KSA’s hopes as he pulled one back as he scraped his kick through in the bottom left corner just escaping Nasir Khan’s clutches. But Linekar Machado soon regained the two goal cushion as he struck his kick in the bottom left corner. Hitesh Karkera kept KSA’s hopes alive as he send the keeper the wrong way to bring the score at 3-2 in Western Railways’ favor.

Manish Kajania almost saves Pratik Patil’s spot kick as it goes in off the post to get Western Railways on the brink. Keeping in mind the importance of the next spot kick, KSA’s star frontman Arihi Uchela steps up to slot home in the top right corner to keep the game going.

Charanjit Singh finally seals the victory for Western Railways as his spot kick finds the back of the net despite the KSA keeper getting a hand to it, to send Western Railways through.

Western Railways edged a very tight game as they showed better composure in the shootout. They will now await the winners of Dilbahar FC and Indian Navy in the Quarter Finals to be played on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Great Mother F.C and Premier Indian Football Academy Colaba sealed their passage through to the Quarter Finals through the same route of penalty kicks as Western Railways.

Great Mother saw off hosts Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers after a dramatic sixty minutes, which saw both sides take the lead and lose it as Kevin Patrick’s late leveler for RCF saw a shootout which G.M.F.C edged 4-3 after Raju Meetei’s opener for the hosts was cancelled out by goals from Suchil Ranade and Michael Idewele which game G.M.F.C the lead.

The second game between P.I.F.A. Colaba and Mumbai Customs was a roller coaster ride. Elvis Ozawara gave P.I.F.A Colaba the lead which was cancelled out by a Mathias Coutinho penalty before half time. Mumbai Customs rallied to a 3-1 lead after the break with goals from Mathias Coutinho and Jinto Jose before P.I.F.A. fought back to level the tie at 3-3 as Elvis Ozawara completed his hattrick. Mumbai Customs never recovered from this setback as they lost the shootout 4-1.

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RCF were enjoying home advantage as they got quite a lot of support from their fans gathered at RCF Sports Club. But on the field, it was an even battle with few chances for either side in the first quarter of the game as no side was able to get a clear spell of dominance.

But the deadlock was broken in the 29th minute when Linekar Machado fired Western Railways into the lead much to the displeasure of the gathered home support. The goal seemed to wake RCF up as there was a distinct urgency in their game after going behind.

RCF got stronger as the half time whistle approached, putting pressure on the Western Railways backline drawing a series of corners. Western Railways defence finally gave way in third minute of first half stoppage time when Ubaid Ansari’s brilliant through ball found Raju Meetei who showed great composure to beat the goalkeeper and finish to level the scores.

That was the last action of the first half and the scoreline was a fair reflection of the half.

Second half started with Western Railways on the front foot when Somi P.T played in Anil Pawar whose shot needed intervention and it came from the RCF defender. Six minutes later RCF keeper Narendra was forced into action by Anil Pawar through a well taken free kick which threatened to go in at the far post looping over the keeper’s head.

As RCF got through the initial hick ups, the game entered a lean period wherein neither side looked like scoring and hardly threatened as the tournament’s first penalty shoot out was looking likely.

RCF made their first substitution as they brought on Maimilungboy who replaced Ashish Pawaskar in the 77th minute, and the substitute made an instant impact who broke free of the Western Railways defence only to shoot wide. Great work by the youngster to create the opening, but it should have been put away as the way the game was going, there weren’t going to be a lot of chances to grab the winner.

A minute later Anil Pawar does well again to earn a free kick for the Western Railways, but he shot over. Four minutes later RCF’s Raju Meetei brilliantly controlled a long ball, cut in and force a top save from the Western Railways keeper. Good play from the RCF scorer.

Maimilungboy’s arrival had blown much needed energy into hosts RCF as they were seeing more of the ball and threatening a lot more than before. Striker Raju Meetei came close a minute from time when his long range effort went wide of the goal.

But in the dying seconds of regulation time at the end of the second half, Ubaid Anasari’s cracking half volley flew past Nisarullah Khan to send the home fans into delirium. It was an emphatic display of technique from RCF’s No. 20 as his goal was worthy of winning any game and could easily be the goal of the tournament so far.

RCF held on for the remaining two stoppage time minutes as they got through to the semi-finals of the 108th Nadkarni Cup. RCF edged what was a tight game but their superior finishing got them over the line.

RCF will face winners of Companerose and ONGC in the semi final on 3rd December.

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