JCT hold advantage against Air India in NFL match

Mumbai, Apr 18 (UNI) Eighth-placed Air-India will be hoping to cash in on the home advantage to turn the tables on seventh-placed JCT Mills when they meet tomorrow in an NFL encounter at the Cooperage.

The hosts had lost their first leg encounter 1-2 played in Ludhiana. Both teams have thirteen points although the Textiles outfit have played only twelve games, one less than Air-India. Even a point for both teams will be most helpful to steer them away from the relegation zone.

Air-India will be hit badly in defence as their African stopper back Abiodun Martins (two yellows) as well as his Indian counterpart Benoy Kuruvilla (fever) will miss the match. Their replacements will be from among Santosh Kolhi, Uttam Singh, Napoleon Singh and Subash Mondal in a defence marshalled by veteran Suley Musha. Air-India may also bring in goalkeeper Raju Ekka in place of Sanjay Rajan.

JCT Mills are better placed with all their regular players available except for striker Praveen Kumar who will miss the match due to an injury.

''We respect our opponents and we are not taking them lightly.

They are a fighting team and we managed to beat them very narrowly at home,'' JCT coach Sukhwinder Singh said after practice here today.

With players like the Brazilian Marcos Pereira, Sunil Chettri, Rennedy Singh and veteran Ram Pal in their ranks, JCT have the experience to get the better of Air-India.

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