Veteran I M Vijayan scored once in each half to give JCT Mills a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Coca-Cola Churchill Bros in a seventh round match in the eighth National Football League at the Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, on Saturday.
The quicksilver striker displayed his class, scoring in the 20th and 69th minutes before Churchill, who pressed hard in the closing stages, could pull one back through a Yusif Yakubu penalty in the 85th minute, after Baldip Singh had handled the ball inside the box.
It was the Phagwara team's third victory.
The two goals swelled Vijayan's tally in the league to four goals.
Yakubu too scored his fourth goal of the tournament.
JCT have 11 points from seven matches while Churchill, who suffered their second defeat, remain on 11 points.
Referee B K Singh showed yellow cards to Churchill's Osumanu Husseini and JCT's Musa Aliu.
Both the teams played an aggressive game but their strikers were unable to penetrate the rival defence.
Churchill got the first opportunity to score but Nitin Pradhan fumbled and was slow in taking a first-timed shot from inside the box when put in possession following a fine move between Francis Afonso and Yakubu.
JCT, who wanted to wipe off the bitter memory of losing to Hayward 2000 1-4 earlier, played with determination and their attack was better organised and incisive.
They shot into the lead in the 20th minute when a move on the right saw Stephen sending a long pass to Vijayan, who controlled the ball, outwitted defender Roque Pereira and uncorked an angular drive to the far corner of the net.
He nearly doubled the lead in the dying minutes of the first half, but his shot sailed inches over the bar.
In between, Churchill, who came up with counter moves, had two chances to restore parity but Yakubu failed to direct his shot on target and Rajesh Meetei's long ranger went over the bar.
But the change of ends saw Churchill dictating terms as they pressed hard for the equaliser. Yakubu twice had chances to score but failed. Once his powerful shot was saved by keeper Mansur Mohammad.
With the defence also moving into the rival box, Churchill nearly paid the price as they left big gaps in the defence. Luckily Vijayan twice failed to capitalize on opportunities that came his way.
JCT dominated for a brief period midway into the second half with Vijayan playing the lone striker upfront and after missing three chances increased the lead in the 69th minute.
Jo Paul Ancheri, who took the free-kick on the left, saw his shot deflect off a rival defender and the ball fall into the path of Vijayan, who unleashed a fierce left-footer that found the roof of the net.
Thereafter, Churchill launched a feverish search for goals. They reduced the margin in the 85th minute when Yakubu scored from a penalty after Baldip Singh handled the ball inside the box.
More from rediff