Chirag win 2-0 against Salgaocar, take top position

Barasat: A double strike by striker Joshimar helped Chirag United beat Salgaocar SC 2-0 and jump to the top of the table in the ONGC I-League at the Vidyasagar Stadium here on Friday evening.

Chirag, who had fared poorly in their maiden appearance last season, started well this time not losing any tie so far and now lead the table with 15 points from seven matches. Before this match, they shared the top slot with Dempo on 12 points. Salgaocar, who played their sixth round on Friday, now have six points.After a barren first half, Chirag upped the ante and Joshimar displayed his class striking twice in the 57th and 68th minutes. Following a move initiated by Jayanta Sen, who was declared man of the match, Edmilson collected the ball and passed it to Joshimar who scored with a right footer.The second goal for the Subrata Bhattacharya coached side came 11 minutes later following a misunderstanding between two Salgaocar defenders about clearing a ball. Joshimar darted in to collect the ball and placed it home. Salgaocar, however, got a couple of chances in the initial part of the game. In the sixth minute, a powerful volley by striker Beevan Demellow was saved by Chirag keeper Somnath Khanra diving full length. A few minutes later, Salgaocar defender Rouhollah Semenia’s header went out narrowly. Chirag made their first goalbound move in the 18th minute but striker Gouranga Biswas failed to make use of a long lob released by Tulunga. The home team came near scoring again three minutes later. But Salgaocar defender Semienia saved the situation when their custodian misjudged the flight of a floater. A couple of minutes before the breather, Joshimar’s attempt following a free kick from inside the box missed the mark. Salgaocar got a chance to score in the 64th minute but their forward Ekeme’s shot went over the crosspiece. Bureau Report