Air India 1-3 Chirag United Kerala – The Southerners snatch three crucial points

Air India slumped to a 3-1 loss to Chirag United Kerala in an I-League encounter at the Balewadi stadium on Sunday.

Sandesh Gadkari gave the hosts the lead as early as the 5^th minute, before the away side equalized via a Charles Dzisah penalty in the 31^st minute. In the second half Nizam Packeer Ali’s side came out all guns blazing and deservedly took the lead via Sukhwinder Singh in the 65^th minute before David Sunday sealed the deal in the 87^th minute to give Chirag a vital three points.

Santosh Kashyap had a 17 member squad at his disposal as injuries and suspension crippled his squad.

The relegation threatened visitors started with captain Anil Kumar upfront alongside David Sunday, as they searched for an elusive three points.

The hosts immediately took command of the game, as Ezeh Henry and Sandesh Gadkari linked up well upfront. They combined brilliantly in the 5^th minute, as Henry played in Gadkari, who with the Chirag defense fast asleep, had the simple task of slotting the ball in and duly put Air India ahead.

The goal did evoke a response from the away side, as they poured forward in search of an equalizer; however they failed to really test the keeper until Anil Kumar rattled the bar with a brilliant header from a corner, which had Pawan Kumar totally beaten in goal.

Satwinder Singh looked lively on the wing for the hosts and was the next player to try his luck, but his long ranger went just wide, before Takayuki Omi stretched K. Sharath in Chirag’s goal, as the keeper tipped the ball away for a corner.

Nizam Packeer Ali’s side took over the proceedings and should have equalized when K. Asif played Sunday in perfectly, but Pratik Chaudhari came from nowhere with a brilliant diving block, as the striker looked set to pull the trigger.

Chirag continued to bomb crosses into the box and Anil Kumar as well as C.K Vineeth tested the keeper, but Pawan Kumar proved equal to them.

The visitors were then handed an unexpected way back into the game when Bijay Basfore was bought down C.K Vineeth needlessly and conceded a penalty which Charles Dzisah duly converted in the 31^st minute.

They could have had another two penalties soon, as David Sunday and Vineeth were bought down in the box in quick succession. The referee waved away their appeals, much to the disgust of the Chirag United players and staff.

The half ended with the away side in full control of the match and Santosh Kashyap was probably relieved at hearing the half-time whistle.

Substitute Allan Dias had an almost instant impact on the match at the start of the second half, when Henry Ezeh set the winger up, but Dias side footed it wide.

Sandeep Sangha was the next to try his luck, but his rasping volley was brilliantly tipped away by Sharath K for a corner.

Sharath then produced another top class save, as he somehow clawed back from the line Gadkari’s header which seemed destined to find the back of the net, leaving the striker amazed.

The keeper’s save possibly galvanized the Chirag United players, as they went on the other end and took the lead, when Sukhwinder Singh’s sweetly struck volley from a corner nestled into the back of the net in the 65^th minute.

The hosts could have equalized soon after, but in a desperate scrap in the box, Sangha and Henry both failed to tap the ball in, while there was a hint of handball by Dzisah on the line.

Sukhwinder then almost got a second, as he dribbled with the ball for well over 20 yards and then unleashed a shot that hit the upright and came back into play with Sunday only hitting the ball straight at Pawan Kumar in goal.

David Sunday and Vineeth then had a couple of chances to seal the tie in the away side’s favour, but Sunday failed to hit the target, and Vineeth saw his brilliant lob amazingly tipped over via the crossbar by Pawan Kumar in goal.

Eventually the Kerala based side sealed the tie, when Sunday hit the third on the counter-attack in the 87^th minute, after going past Pawan Kumar in goal.

The third goal knocked the fight out of Air India, and they surrendered meekly in the last few minutes as Chirag United registered a vital victory, which reduces the gap between themselves and Mumbai FC, who occupy 11^th position to three points.

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