Nigerian striker Akeem Abolanle scored a late winner as Tollygunge Agragami edged past Indian Bank, Chennai, 3-2 in an eighth National Football League match in Kolkata on Tuesday.
After a listless first-half, which saw the bankmen lead 1-0, the match livened up in the latter session. Four goals came in the session as both sides went into attack mode and dished out entertaining fare before a modest turn-out at the Howrah stadium.
After Sri Lankan Kasun Nadika Jayasuriya drew first blood for the Chennai outfit, promising Habib Ali scored twice for Tollygunge after the breather to make the scoreline 2-1 in favour of the locals.
But Indian Bank restored parity through substitute Joseph K G, before Abolanle fired the decisive goal five minutes before the final whistle to ensure three points for Tollygunge. The city team, with ten points from 11 matches, climbed to tenth position, leaving behind Mohammedan Sporting, who are a point behind.
Indian Bank, who have only two points from 11 outings, continue to languish at the bottom of the table.
The bankmen established midfield control early in the first half, but Tollygunge seized the initiative midway through the session, launching a series of promising moves. However, the visitors could have forged ahead in the very first minute, as Jayasuriya latched on to a faulty clearance from Sandip Das, but his firm volley crashed into the post.
Sri Lankan medio Mohammed Rawme and Amjad Hussain were the architects of the Indian Bank's moves as Jayasuriya missed another chance in the ninth minute.
Withstanding the initial onslaughts, Tollygunge came close to scoring in the 39th minute, but the woodwork stood in the way of a power-packed shot from Abolanle, who narrowly missed the mark on two earlier occasions.
Finally, Indian Bank went ahead in the first half if injury time, with an onrushing Jayasuriya finding the mark with a snap header following a Kamaldeen Fuard cross from the right.
Tollygunge drew level in the 54th minute as a Jiten Rai centre from the left found substitute Manik Burman, whose shot came off Rupesh T, and Habib tapped home.
Habib again earned the spotlight in the 69th minute, heading in a Kabijit Khotel corner to put Tollygunge in the lead.
Six minutes later, right back Fuard, impressive with his overlapping runs, lobbed into the box, and Joseph dribbled past Aboyemi Isiaka and unleashed a rasping shot, which hit the post. But the striker managed to tap in the rebound to make the scoreline 2-2.
But Tollygunge had the last laugh as Ajay Singh, who had his first touch of the ball after coming in as a replacement, directed a pass to Abolanle, who shot home with a right footer.
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