Tollygunge scrape past F C Kochin

Kolkata:

Kolkata's Tollygunge Aggragami ended their losing streak when they scraped past Kerala's F C Kochin by a solitary second half goal in a National Football League match here today. The diminutive Sashti Duley converted a penalty to seal the fate of the Kerala outfit in a lacklustre encounter to help his team register only their second win in the high-profile league. The home team, playing their first match under new coach Aloke Mukherjee who replaced Amal Dutta, tried to play an attacking game but the moves lacked the sting as the Keralites managed to ward off the attacks. The lone goal was the result of a blunder by the F C Kochin defender Suresh who brought down Tollygunge striker Asim Biswas inside the box to foil a goal-bound move. Referee Mrinal Kanti Roy of Assam had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Duley, the livewire of the team, kept his cool and neatly placed the ball to the left of the Kochin custodian to put his team on top. With this victory, Tollygunge who were languishing at the bottom half of the table, have secured nine points from as many matches at the half way stage of the League. F C Kochin have also collected nine points from nine outings. (PTI)