I-League: Churchill Bros stifle Real Kashmir, return to the top of the table

Margao: Every time there’s a setback, Churchill Brothers have bounced back.
After their first loss this season against Sreenidi Deccan, Churchill won four in a row. After the unexpected Namdhari defeat, the first at home, they hammered six past Aizawl.
Real Kashmir would have known that the title aspirants would be eager to get their campaign back on track after the defeat at Rajasthan United last week. The visitors weren’t wrong and got a taste of it at the Panchayat ground in Raia on Thursday.
Churchill scored twice inside the first 20 minutes and then added another one in the second half for a comfortable 3-1 win against Kashmir. Given that their defeats have all come against lower-ranked sides, it was a perfect response to those doubting their ability to stay among the top guns till the end.
Against Kashmir, Churchill had the right intensity and energy that powered them to a positive start. A seventh-minute strike from Nischal Chandan got the team going, Rama Gaonkar then made it 2-0, while Trijoy Dias finished it in style late in the second half.
In-between the three goals, Wayde Lekay, the club’s leading goalscorer, was denied twice by the crossbar, after Paulo Cezar scored from the spot for Kashmir’s only goal.
Churchill are now leading the table, with 22 points from 11 matches. Kashmir remained fifth with 16 points from the same number of matches.
Churchill coach Dimitris Dimitriou started with three foreign players in his starting 11, leaving Colombian midfielder Sebastian Gutierrez, returning from injury, and new Ghanaian forward Rafiq Aminu on the bench. It didn’t matter as the hosts dominated the early possession, with the three Goan attacking players – Anil, Trijoy and Stendly Fernandes – giving a good account of themselves.
Kashmir relied overwhelmingly on their foreign quartet to counter Churchill with Elhadji Karim Samb and Paulo leading the forward line. Ghanaian midfielders Kamal Issah and Conney Idan provided muscle in the middle.
The opening goal for Churchill came in the seventh minute as Nischal connected Lalremruata’s cornerkick from inside a crowded defence.
Churchill soon doubled their lead with Nischal again playing a role. This time, the defender’s long ball saw Trijoy beat his marker, Hyder Yousuf, and then essay it inside the box for Anil to find the net, despite a diving effort from Kashmir goalkeeper Mohammad Arbaz.
Despite the setback, Kashmir coach Ishfaq Ahmed encouraged his side to keep the ball and “play football.” The visitors did manage to fight back in the 25th minute after Nischal fouled Abdou Karim Samb inside the danger zone, and Paulo stepped forward to convert the resultant penalty.
Lekay then missed a great chance to capitalise on a defensive lapse from Muhammad Hammad in a one-on-one situation with the keeper, but it didn’t matter in the end as Churchill still ended up scoring their third after the change of ends.
Trijoy’s goal in the 79th minute was a thing of beauty as he intercepted a ball from the keeper, danced his way inside the box, beat two defenders and hammered it past the goalkeeper.