Muritala Ali hat-trick sinks Salgaocar

Margao: Muritala Ali scored the first hat-trick of this year’s I-League as Mahindra United scored an emphatic 4-1 win over Salgaocar Sports Club in a third round match at Nehru stadium, Fatorda here on Sunday.

Steven Dias (23rd) and Muritala Ali (50th, 67th, 85th) scored for Mahindra, while Cajetan Fernandes found the target for Salgaocar in the 21st minute. Mahindra now have seven points from three matches, while Salgaocar, who suffered their first defeat, have one point from two matches. The hosts took the lead in the 21st minute when a move from the left saw a Manjit Singh shot cleared by defender Dharmaraj Ravanan. The ball fell in the path of Cajetan Fernandes who uncorked a firm 35-yard shot that surprised the entire Mahindra defence, along with goal-keeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhury to find the bottom of the net.However, a Dias cross from the right helped Mahindra equalise two minutes later. Mahindra continued to dictate terms in the second half and went ahead in the 50th minute. Ali, who was guilty of missing three chances earlier, put the visitors ahead when he beat defender Luciano Sobrosa and goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey and chipped the ball into the net off a pass from Paresh Shivalkar.Ali scored again 17 minutes later through a combined move between him and Mohammed Rafi as they split the defense with a wall pass and the former beat the onrushing rival players to find the back of the net. Ali, who was shown a yellow card by referee M B Santosh Kumar, drove the ball in for his third goal, after substitute Sushil Kumar Singh’s feeble shot hit the post off a lob from the right by Steven Dias, to give Mahindra a convincing victory. Salgaocar’s defense was found wanting with custodian Kalyan Chaubey, who unnecessarily left his charge, being responsible for conceding two goals. Bureau Report Ali scored again 17 minutes later through a combined move between him and Mohammed Rafi as they split the defense with a wall pass and the former beat the onrushing rival players to find the back of the net. Ali, who was shown a yellow card by referee M B Santosh Kumar, drove the ball in for his third goal, after substitute Sushil Kumar Singh’s feeble shot hit the post off a lob from the right by Steven Dias, to give Mahindra a convincing victory. Salgaocar’s defense was found wanting with custodian Kalyan Chaubey, who unnecessarily left his charge, being responsible for conceding two goals. Bureau Report