IMPHAL: Mohammedan Sporting Club took another knock, after going down 2-1 to TRAU FC at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal on Thursday afternoon in an 2018/19 Hero 2nd Division League Preliminary Round Group C game.
Former Mohammedan SC striker Princewill Emeka (25′) and Joseph Olaleye (56′) scored on either side of the pitch to make Philip Adjah’s (12′) opener count little.
TRAU started the match like a house on fire as they took the game to Mohammedan SC. The hosts created the first threat in the 7th minute when Princewill delivered a free-kick into the box, but Joseph was unable to hit the target with his header.
That proved to be a costly miss as Mohammedan SC took the lead five minutes later through Adjah, who collected a pass from Prosenjit Chakraborty before calmly slotting past Mithun Samonto.
TRAU then came close to levelling matters in the 18th minute when Balwinder Singh lost possession inside the box, but Princewill’s shot went wide of the target.
Princewill, however, redeemed himself by scoring the equalizer in the 25th minute. The Nigerian latched onto a loose ball in the box following a neat interchange of passing with Naocha Singh, to slot his shot into the top left hand corner.
From the goal onwards, TRAU dominated the proceedings and could have taken the lead in the 34th minute when they were awarded a penalty after Prosenjit Pal brought down Kivi Zhimoni inside the box. However, goalkeeper Priyant Singh produced superb save to keep out Princewill’s effort from the spot.
Meanwhile, Mohammedan SC also gave a good account of themselves in the later stages of the half but TRAU made sure they kept things tight and compact as the both teams went into the break locked at 1-1.
TRAU came out with intent in the second-half and carved out three chances in the opening few minutes. However, Priyant covered his area well to keep some stunning strikes by Princewill and Kivi at bay.
Nonetheless despite his best efforts Priyant could not hold TRAU off forever and as the clock headed into the 56th minute mark Jospeh scored from Kivi’s pass give his side the lead.
However, rather than let their heads drop, the goal spurred Mohammedan SC on and they began attacking with intensity.
Mohammedan SC missed a myriad of late chances after coming alive in the final minutes but a series of horrid misses and some sparkling saves from Mithun kept them at bay.
Mohammedan SC who have 4 points from 5 matches will face ATK Reserves next on March 4, 2019 at Howrah Stadium.
IMPHAL: Previous form won’t have any effect when Mohammedan Sporting Club face TRAU FC in an 2018/19 Hero 2nd Division League Preliminary Round Group C encounter at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal on Thursday, kick-off 2 pm.
This is the view of Mohammedan SC Technical Director Raghunath Nandy, who believes TRAU will approach this match like wounded tigers, eager to make up for the recent defeats they have suffered at their own backyard.
After a rip roaring start to the campaign TRAU lost two back to back home games. They were first beaten 3-2 by Rainbow Athletic Club before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Chhinga Veng FC that dented their final round hopes.
Alluding to those two defeats, Nandy said those matches gave him a clear indication of what his side will be up against on the morrow, warning that they could find themselves facing side which is desperate for a win in pursuit of keeping final round round hopes alive.
“It becomes very important not to depend on their past performances because they are going to come with a different game plan. We have high respect for the quality they have in their squad,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mohammedan SC themselves are in a spot of bother as they only have 4 points from 4 games and anything less than three points means their chances of making it to the final round considerably lessened.
Nandy said that it is up to his players to go out there and ensure that they give their best performance and fight for a victory against TRAU.
“It’s a mental thing where players will have to now go out there and give it whatever they have got to win the match. We put ourselves here and we have to take ourselves out. We want to be in the top eight. We need to aim high,” Nandy added.
KALYANI: Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Jamshedpur FC Reserves 2-1 on Sunday to log their first win of the 2018/19 Hero 2nd Division League.
Debutante Desmos Arthur Kouassi (42′ & 70′) scored on either side of the pitch before Samim Hossain pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 82nd minute at Kalyani Stadium.
Mohammedan SC exerted pressure right from the start while the visitors took time to settle. Nevertheless, Jamshedpur FC had a clear look at the Mohammedan SC goal in the 19th minute as Gorachand Mamdi leaped high to meet Sohrab Akhtar’s cross but the striker’s header moved over the cross bar.
The Black Panthers, on the other hand, were creating some fantastic openings but their attackers ran short of ideas on reaching the Jamshedpur FC territory.
Having created some half chances till the half hour mark, Mohammedan SC managed to find the back of the net in the 31st minute through Prosenjit Chakraborty but the former India youth international’s effort was ruled offside.
However, the constant pressure by Mohammedan SC paid off as they finally broke the deadlock through Kouassi who slotted home from Philip Adjah’s pass to give his side a 1-0 lead at half-time..
The second-half saw Mohammedan SC continue to attack with ease, but goalkeeper Amrit Gope kept Jamshedpur FC in the contest with a number of fine saves, including one to deny Adjah in the 54th minute.
However, some sloppy defending from Mohammedan SC gave Jamshedpur FC the chance to equalize, but Priyant Singh did very well as he came out to block Jaypal Singh from close range, before Mohammad Shahjahan missed the target on the follow-up.
The Black Panthers then took the ball up to the opposite end of the pitch and looked set to double their lead and the pressure eventually told and Mohammedan SC managed to double the lead in the 70th minute through Kouassi.
It was a goal made in football heaven, involving a glorious passing movement featuring a number of players, and with classic one-touch football, they carved open the Jamshedpur FC defense, leaving the Ivorian with a simple tap-in.
Nonetheless, Jamshedpur FC did manage to find a consolation goal in recognition of their efforts as substitute Samim Hossain slotted in the 82nd minute after a failed clearance by defender Balwinder Singh fell for the midfielder.
Mohammedan SC who now have 4 points from 4 outings will travel to Imphal to take on TRAU FC on February 28, 2019.
KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club manager Raghunath Nandy insists he thrives in pressure situations as his side gears up for Friday’s Hero 2nd Division League preliminary round fixture against Chhinga Veng FC at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl, kick-off 2 pm.
However, the concern Nandy has over Mohammedan SC’s slow start to the season doesn’t give him sleepless nights, as he argues The Black Panthers have enough quality to shake themselves out of their slumber.
‘‘About the pressure‚ every coach‚ every player that comes here to Mohammedan SC needs to understand‚ needs to accept that pressure‚” Nandy told mohammedansportingindia.com.
‘‘As a person 25 years in this job of coaching I understand if this pressure puts you in trouble‚ then this is a big problem. You need to exploit this pressure for motivation, to motivate the players,” he added.
KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club manager Raghunath Nandy acknowledged his side were not on par with ATK Reserves following their 2-0 defeat in 2018/19 Hero 2nd Division League opener on Saturday afternoon at Kalyani Stadium.
Black Panthers were beaten after a convincing display from ATK Reserves, who created the greater chances and looked threatening each time they poured forward, and Nandy admits his side were a level below their counterparts in their on-field display.
Nandy noted that set-pieces, from which both of the game’s goals were scored, are a vital component of the game, and hopes his side will be able to bounce back quickly from the loss.
“We just need to go back and re-think what happened today. I believe in the group and I know that they will pick themselves up and respond from this defeat,” Nandy added.
KALYANI: Mohammedan Sporting Club went down 2-0 against ATK Reserves in the 2018/19 Hero 2nd Division League opener on Saturday at Kalyani Stadium.
Thomyo L. Shimray (26′) and Sheikh Azaruddin (59′) scored on the either side of the pitch for ATK Reserves.
The game started at a furious pace with Mohammedan SC‚ as expected‚ pressing high to nullify ATK’s effort to rapidly circulate the ball. It was a fascinating tactical battle although‚ at times‚ a little predictable.
Reluctantly there was a lot of possession turn over and not enough in the way of scoring chances.
The first real opportunity came after 11 minutes when ATK goalkeeper Jedidi Haokip made a save from Philip Adjah‚ who had done well to turn the defense and put himself into a shooting position. But the Ghanaian forward failed to get any real power behind his shot.
On the 15th minute mark‚ Adjah hit a wild effort from a tight angle well off target and six minutes later Balwinder Singh rose unchallenged to head a corner narrowly wide.
While Mohammedan SC pressed high up, opponents ATK managed to take the lead against the run of the play at the other end. Thomyo L. Shimray capitalized on a defensive error to beat Black Panthers custodian Laltu Mondal in the 26th minute.
Having conceded, Mohammedan SC began attacking with intensity through Adjah, Pankaj and Safiul Rahman but rivals ATK managed to hold on defending deep as the first-half ended 1-0.
ATK goalkeeper Jedidi Haokip was a spectator in the first-half, but he saw more action in the second, keeping out an angled drive from Adjah before twice having to punch away an awkward aerial ball in the 54th minute as Mohammedan SC began to put more pressure on the ATK defense looking for the equalizer.
Despite the momentum turning in Mohammedan SC’s favour, ATK fought back to add a second when Sheikh Azaruddin slotted from a free-kick in the 59th minute.
Mohammedan SC, to their credit, never gave up but it appeared as if getting on the score sheet just wasn’t to be for the side today with every shot went anywhere but on target as ATK held on on for a well-deserved win.
ATK’s Sumit Rathi, who was responsible for blocking most of Mohammedan SC’s advances, was named Orion Hero of the match.