Air India squeak past Sporting Clube with injury time goal

Mumbai, Jan 20 (UNI) An injury time goal by Bashiru Abbas saw Air India pip Sporting Clube de Goa by a solitary goal in their 12th round I League match at the Cooperage ground here today.

With this hard fought win, Air India moved into sixth place with 14 points including three wins, 5 draws and 4 losses, while Sporting Clube de Goa moved down a place to seventh with 12 points including three wins, three draws and six losses.

The match started with both teams playing for safety first, which saw a lot of mid-field play and not too many attacks on goal.

At half time, both the teams were goalless and it looked like the match would end in a draw, but man of the match Bashiru Abbas scored the winning goal for Air India in the added time with a move from the left flank. Paresh Shivalkar gave a cross which was easily slotted home by Abbas to give Air India three crucial points.

Air India, which was in the danger of relegation just a few days back, have however come out strongly with two consecutive wins and now occupy the sixth spot in the league.

Air India, however, saw two of their players shown the yellow card by the referee for ambitious tackles on the opposition, with Nirmal Chettri in the 20th minute and Samson K Singh in the 63rd minute.

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