AGENCIES
BHUBANESHWAR
Churchill Brothers registered a 2-1 come from behind victory over Delhi Dynamos in the first match of the Hero Super Cup 2018 which got underway in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha on Thursday. Riding on a brace from Trinidadian Willis Plaza, Churchill now enter the main draw of the tournament scheduled to begin on March 31 and will face Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan in the pre-quarters.
The Goan outfit overcame a cautious start to get over the line in extra-time, after Kalu Uche had given the Delhi side a fifth minute lead. At the Kalinga Stadium, Churchill, who were placed ninth in the Hero I-League and faced relegation, upset the six match unbeaten run of the Indian Super League outfit.
The Lions got a goal as early as the fifth minute when Kalu Uche, latched on to a ball just outside the box on the left after a neat 1-2 with Nandhakumar, before unleashing a pile-driver leaving Churchill custodian Ricardo Cardozo hopelessly out of position. Delhi continued to dominate possession. Romeo Fernandez found Uche again in the 12th minute with a wonderful cross bringing out a neat save from Cardozo. A minute later, Lalianzuala Changte missed with a clear sight at goal from inside the box.
Churchill slowly started to find their feet into the game. In the 29th minute, Britto cut in from the right and found Nicolas free from what appeared to be a deflected cross off a Delhi Dynamos defender, inside the box. His neat trapping and finish was disallowed for off-side. In the 32nd minute, Churchill restored parity when Plaza controlled the ball with a superb first touch to drill it at the near post. A feeble effort from Changte during added time was collected easily as the teams went into the lemon break.
While Delhi were still ahead in possession and were pressing hard, their efforts to weave through the Churchill defence lacked enough imagination and penetration. It was still Plaza, who by the end of 90+4 minutes of added time, had not only created but also missed the most chances to score for both sides.
After very sluggish first 15 minutes of extra time, Plaza breathed life into the second, when an innocuous long ball from Jovel Martins from deep inside the Churchill defence, saw Plaza trap beautifully over two defenders inside the Delhi box and neatly beat the Delhi keeper for the winner.
