Sporting-Mahindra settle

Kolkata, Dec 9 (UNI) Sporting Clube De Goa held Mahindra United to a goalless draw in a second Group A match of the ongoing 112th IFA Shield here at the Salt Lake stadium today.

The draw confirmed the Goan outfit a berth in the semis.

Sporting started on a defensive note. Mahindra, playing their first match of the tournament, went offensive from the early minutes.

Keeping his foreigner duo of Portuguese Filipe Azevedo and Ghanaian Yakubu in the up front, Mahindra went into a series of attacks. Besides, Yakubu and Filipe, Mohammed Rafi joined as the third striker from midfield.

And it was it the 16th minute of the match, that Rafi almost scored from a Yakubu centre from the left flank. He however, failed to make a powerful contact and the shot spinned out of the ground.

Despite Mahindra's desperate moves to open up the goal front, their attacks were squandered midway by an alert Sporting De Goa defense. Much of the credit went to the their goalkeeper Felix D Souza, who had a busy day under the bar.

In the 45th minute Yakubu missed a chance to score the lead.

Grabbing a lobbed volley from Mahesh Gawli, the Ghanaian striker just in the right slot, only managed shooting straight into the hands of the custodian.

After a barren first half, Sporting maintained their defensive game with Sporting continued their hunt for a goal.

Thirteen minutes into the second half, the Mumbai team found their first real chance. They however, ruined it when Filipe failed to head in a Ajayan centre from the right end. Clearly man of the match Rafi too failed to score after a one-to-one with Yakubu in the 59th minute as Sporting playing with a 4-4-2 format held them till the last minute.

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