Churchill eye hat-trick of wins

Kolkata: Churchill Brothers will look for a hat-trick of wins when they take on Prayag United SC in round three of the fifth I-League, to be held at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday.

It will be a repeat of their Durand Cup final which Churchill won via penalties in New Delhi a fortnight ago. After their Durand Cup triumph, the 2009-10 champions have been in sublime form as they showed against East Bengal with a 1-0 win in round one of the I-League. The away win followed a one-sided 2-0 home trouncing of Air India and the Goans, under experienced coach Manuel Gomes, showed the right intent for the marathon league. The fact they notched two fluent victories, one of them against heavyweights East Bengal in unfriendly conditions, without their star player Roberto Mendis Silva `Beto` says a lot about the side. In the likely absence of the former Dempo playmaker, their new Gabonese recruit Henri Antchouet will lead the forward, while experienced India international Steven Dias will provide sting to the attack. Australian defender Antun Kovacic will spearhead the defence. Sanjoy Sen-coached Prayag United SC, on the other hand, will strive to avenge their Durand Cup defeat and end a string of draws. They started off holding Sporting Club de Goa 2-2 in an away game, before a 1-1 result against East Bengal. PTI