Mapuia’s double helps halt Aizawl FC’S winless run
AIZAWL: After eight winless games, Aizawl FC finally got back to winning ways defeating Indian Arrows 3-0 here on Friday. In a game where both sides got plenty of chances, Aizawl’s Romanian midfielder Andrei Ionescu (7’) opened the scoring, netting his third goal of the season. The hero of the match Lalkhawpuimawia (16’, 87’), popularly called Mapuia, then scored a brace.
Aizawl needed only seven minutes to score the first goal. Mapuia skipped past Stalin and sent a teasing ball towards the goal. Arrows goalkeeper Sukham failed to clear the ball as it found its way to Ionescu, who easily slotted it in from three yards.
Santosh Kashyap i mplemented a new formation and it bore results as Mapuia scored Aizawl’s second goal in the 16th minute. Mapuia browbeat the Arrows defenders but his shot hit the woodwork. However, on the rebound, he didn’t make any mistake and doubled the lead.
EB VS CHENNAI CITY
KOLKATA: After a wait of 14 years, East Bengal finally see a realistic chance to win the I-league and they will be desperate to snatch full points against Chennai City in a vital fixture on Saturday.
Mohun Bagan won the league in 2015 but the red-and-gold brigade still await the coveted trophy. NEROCA may be sitting at the top of the table, but realistically it seems to be a fight between the two second and third placed sides — Minerva and East Bengal. NEROCA and East Bengal have three matches but the former have a 3-point advantage.
In such a scenario, East Bengal will have to win their remaining three matches — the next being at Lajong and the final round here against NEROCA on March 8 — and pray Minerva drop points in one of their three matches.
CHURCHILL VS KERALA
VASCO: Churchill Brothers will have their task cut out as they take on Gokulam Kerala with an aim to end their winning run on Saturday. The 3-2 victory Churchill recorded in the reverse fixture in January had helped them turn around their season. The Goan club was beginning to climb up the ladder before hitting a rough patch which saw them lose three straight games.