Goa/Pune: Determined Churchill Brothers who are right now placed second on the I-league table is all set to take on the mighty Mohun Bagan at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, and are confident of beat the green and maroon brigade and seal all points in order to consolidate their position at the top of the table.
In a high-profile clash, Churchill Brothers are expected to hold the upper hand, given their record at home and recent results. But manager Danzie Ferrao knows they will have to be at their best to grab all points on offer.
“This could be our toughest match. We all know Mohun Bagan’s strengths and we need to be at our best to get a positive result. The team is raring to go,” said the Churchill manager.
Churchill Brothers are on a high and, mathematically, have a chance to lead the table. For the moment, they are a point adrift of league leaders Dempo Sports Club (27 points) but with a match in hand against Pailan Arrows.
“Our progress has been pleasing but we need to show consistency. The Mohun Bagan match, in particular, is a must-win for us as we not just need to move ahead but also need to ensure that other competitors for the title don’t get too close to us,” said Danzie.
Churchill Brothers demolished Sporting Clube de Goa 5-0 in their last league clash, and although it will be tough to repeat the same goal-margin, the hosts will look for the three points that would count.“Three points are crucial here. I don’t think any other result will help our cause,” said the Churchill manager.
Mohun Bagan have won just one of their last four matches and the visitors need to get back on winning track. Since getting the better of archrivals East Bengal in the Kolkata derby, Mohun Bagan have slackened and now cannot afford to drop any more points.
Mohun Bagan stays at 4th position with 24 points from 13 matches.
Chirag loss forgotten, Mumbai FC starts afresh
Tomorrow will be a new day, Mumbai FC Coach Khalid Jamil, would like us to believe, when Mumbai take on Salgaocar SC in the Round 14th match of the I-League football championship on Sunday.
Mumbai FC is precariously placed at 11th in the league with 14 points, just three more than Chirag, who are in the relegation zone for quite some time. Unless, Mumbai pulls up its socks and earn few quick points, they are not safe from the danger zone.
Defending champion Salgaocar, who made a disastrous start to the season, have picked up in the middle and are sure to be at their best given that the league is taking a turn after mid-season break. The Goans are currently on 19 points and are placed 8th in the standings and full points tomorrow will hand them a chance to break into the top five if other results favour them.
Nonetheless, once a team breaks the 20-point barrier, mentally it gives a respite from fighting to stay out of relegation.
Jamil doesn’t want to dwell too much on the Chirag United match saying that “The team as a unit played badly and were not up to the mark.”
“Our problems were not only limited to our defence. Whatever we tried upfront too didn’t work. They scored early in each half and we just couldn’t mount a comeback after such a setback,” Jamil stipulated.
By Indian Sports News Network