MARGAO, January 17: Today's humdinger in the Philips National Football League at the Fatorda Stadium provided everything the fans begged for and more.In the end, it was Dempo who set the fireworks blazing with a near-miraculous turnaround after trailing by two goals in the first half set out for a recovery from the ravages of Calcutta as the Goans picked up their eighth point from six games.
Ninety minutes of drama not only provided pulsating soccer and a tremendous win for the hosts, but also incident and indignity that saw three red cards and as many bookings affected by referee Inayathulla Khan.
FC Kochin's Ghanians, goalkeeper Ali Abubaker and mid-fielder Mohammed Salisu along with Dempo's Joao Soares trudged their way to the dressing room in an eventful second half after the sides shared four goals at the interval. But the clash also provided the first hat-trick of the league of the season and Dempo's man of the hour Gautam Ghosh struck his side's second, third and fourth goals to lead the Goans
to a dream comeback lustily cheered by thousands of endearing fans.
Raman Vijayan and Mohammed Salisu put the Kochi side ahead with 36 minutes gone. But Francis Silveira pulled one back for the Goans within seconds. Ghosh levelled scores in the 42nd minute and a 2-2 at half-time score promised an intriguing duel.
After tremendous pressure by the home side, and a duel red card booking that saw Dempo's Soares and Kochin's Salisu sent off, Ghosh sent the large crowd into raptures in the 66th minute only for Carlton Chapman to make it three-all two minutes later.
With Kochin gaining ascendancy as the minutes ticket by, a quirk of fate provided by a blunder by defender Anson, made it 4-3 for Dempo, with a quarter of an hour remaining. Kochin goalkeeper Abubaker then collected a red card and further drama followed when Jo Paul Ancheri donned gloves under the bar.
Maurico Alphonso drove the final nail into the Kochin coffin with a devastating free-kick that Ancheri shaped helplessly against.
Manager
Custodia Almedia and Brazilian coach Franisco Gonsalves couldn't praise their team enough. Almeida said: ``My boys played excellently and I am most happy that today's great team effort should silence our critics, who alleged that the team has no unity.''
George Blues, the Scotsman guiding FC Kochin, admonished his team's performance saying: ``What you saw today was an indisciplined display by FC Kochin. There was no team discipline, no self-discipline,'' the former Dundee United player remarked. ``We deserved what we got,'' he added.Dempo's joy knew no bounds when Ghosh scored the first of his goals, blasting to the far corner of the net after Santano Colaco crossed.With Dempo buzzing around Kochin's citadel, the air was expectant with further scoring but the half's early moment of drama was provided by a scuffle that saw Soares and Salisu make their exit from the contest.
After a yellow card shown to Dempo's Antonio, Ghosh brought the stands down with a strike that gave Dempo the lead after Antonio sent
in a loping cross from the left.
Hard-working medio Chapman incredibly made it 3-3 two minutes later, blasting on the run and Kochin began to take control.
But only until the 77th minute when defender Anson gifted the ball to Ghosh to speed away and beat a hapless Abubaker to complete his hat-trick.
A flustered Abubaker added to the drama by collecting two yellow cards within minutes for fouls on Silveria and Antonio. The ensuing red card brought in an unlikely custodian, the versatile Ancheri. Maurico Alphonso, had little mercy for a player trading unchartered territory. His booming free-kick left Ancheri watching as the net bulged and the stadium erupted in the final minute.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
