Bengaluru FC notch key win, beat Ayeyawady 5-3

Bengaluru FC Media 

An Alwyn George brace and goals from CK Vineeth, Len Doungel and substitute Beikhokhei Beingaichho saw Bengaluru FC beat Myanmar’s Ayeyawady United FC 5-3 in a high-scoring AFC Cup Group H fixture at the Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.

With this result, Bengaluru FC occupy second position in group H with six points from four games.  Defending Champions Johor Darul Ta’zim are in pole position with 12 points from their four games.

In a heavily altered starting XI, one having no foreigners and with Sunday’s big game against Salgaocar gaining rightful precedence, Ashley Westwood handed 18-year-old Nishu Kumar his club debut while Lalthuammawia Ralte started in goal. In fact, the squad did not feature Sunil Chhetri, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, John Johnson, Rino Anto and Curtis Osano while Michael Collins missed the fixture with a suspension.

But the young side showed no signs of pressure and put Ayeyawady on the back foot with a flurry of attacks from the first minute on. Daniel Lalhlimpuia was set up smartly by Vineeth in the box and the youngster’s dragged attempt from close ricocheted off the crossbar. Alwyn George, Len Doungel and Vineeth then all came close with chances they should have finished off.

Bengaluru eventually got the lead in the 20^th minute when Vineeth made the most of a poor back pass, got a touch to put the ball beyond an onrushing Ayeyawady ’keeper before regain his shape and slotting into an empty net.

But for all their domination, Bengaluru’s failure to take their chances – some of them more than gilt-edged – saw them pay the price a minute before half-time. Christopher Chizoba forced Manju to commit and then set Zaw whose strike beat Ralte past his right as the half ended 1-1.

Westwood didn’t press any changes to start the second half with and Bengaluru shot into the lead when George tapped home his first goal in a Blues shirt in the 61^st minute. Meeting a low cross from Vishal Kumar, George saw his first take saved by Vanlal only to get a second chance that he put away.

Vineeth then set up Doungel in the 66^th minute to make it 3-1. Picking the ball on the left, Doungel powered his way past his marker before shooting past Vanlal with his left.

Just when Bengaluru felt they had a lead that would let them breathe easy, an impressive display from Chizoba seemed to throw a spanner in their works. Picking up the ball 20 yards from goal, the Nigerian striker cut past a covering Vishal Kumar and then lashed a fierce grounder which beat Ralte’s flailing hands and gave the side from Myanmar a glimmer of hope.

Just nine minutes later, an optimistic effort from the edge of the box along the carpet, something which Ralte should have gobbled up, inexplicably evaded the Bengaluru ‘keeper’s grasp, deflecting off his hands and into the goal, restoring parity for Ayeyawady.

It was easy for heads to drop in the hosts’ camp but an inspired run from Vineeth down the left saw him power past his marker and put in another rapid, low cross which a sliding Beikhokhei Beingaichho bundled in.

Having regained the lead and with just a minute of regulation time remaining, the Blues went for the kill as Udanta Singh, substituted in for Doungel, left two Ayeyawady central defenders trailing in his wake. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Udanta hammered his shot into the body of the keeper but Alwyn George reprieved the youngster, smashing the ball into the roof of the net to give his side a 5-3 lead and the three valuable points. 

Chhetri goal gives Bengaluru key win against Ayeyawady

Bengaluru FC Media  

Skipper Sunil Chhetri struck in the 34th minute to give JSW Bengaluru FC a vital win and keep their AFC Cup campaign on track as the Blues beat Ayeyawady United 1-0 at the Youth Training Centre, in Myanmar, on Wednesday.  Bengaluru’s first points in the competition this season put them on joint second in Group H with three points alongside Ayeyawady and Lao Toyota while Malaysian team Johor Darul Ta’zim keep pole position.

The game was played in telling weather conditions prompting referee Aziz Asimov to ring in water breaks once in each half but Bengaluru did well to battle the heat and opponents who have an enviable home record in Asian competition.  Ashley Westwood’s boys could have finished things off more comfortably had it not been for two gilt-edged chances that CK Vineeth and Udanta Singh should have done better with.

Having lost their first two games, Bengaluru made the trip to Yangon knowing that even a draw could prove fatal for their chances to come out of the group stages and Westwood’s boys made their intentions clear, regularly creating chances in and around the Ayeyawady box.

It was Chhetri’s move that led to the goal when, after picking the ball on the edge of the box, he did well to find Udanta with a deft flick. The No.21 chose to cut back for the skipper who seemed to have miscued his shot and failed to connect cleanly. But Ayeyawady ’keeper Vanlal Hruai dived to his left in anticipation only to see the ball trickle in on his right.

Earlier Westwood started with a back four that had Keegan Pereira partnering John Johnson in the centre for a third straight game after regular centre-half Curtis Osano didn’t recover from a tweaked groin to make the squad. The gaffer also handed Alwyn George and Siam Hanghal starts in a midfield completed by Chhetri and Michael Collins while Udanta partnered Kim Song Yong ahead.

Down a goal at home, Ayeyawady began chasing the game and had a spell where a flurry of half-chances were either thwarted away by the Blues’ defence or squandered with tame attempts that Amrinder Singh didn’t have to do much to save. But Ayeyawady’s best chance to equalise came in the 73rd minute when Christopher Chizoba and Thiha Zaw found themselves in a 2v1 situation only for Chhuantea to stick in a leg for a timely interception of a pass that Zaw was waiting to put away.

Bengaluru had big chances of their own, ones which if taken, could have quelled any sort of fight from Ayeyawady. Second half substitute, Vineeth did well to beat the off-side trap and finding himself with only Hruai to get past, inexplicably shot at the ’keeper. And just when Bengaluru put away the disappointment of that wasted chance, Udanta squandered one just minutes later. Picking the ball just ahead of the halfway line, the youngster exhibited great pace and brawn to dart into the Ayeyawady box. But with three options at his disposal, Vineeth being the best, he chose to go on his own only to see his strike scrambled away by the Ayeyawady  custodian.

The Blues now have a welcome gap of a fortnight before they resume their League campaign when they host Mumbai FC on April 2. 

Match Preview: AFC Cup - Ayeyawady United vs Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC will look to pick up their first points in Group H of the AFC Cup when they take on Ayeyawady United at the Youth Training Centre in Yangon, Myanmar on Wednesday. Ashley Westwood’s side arrived in the former capital on Monday with temperatures hovering around the 40 degree mark and have their task cut out against the Cup champions of Myanmar.

The Blues played defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim last week in Bengaluru and were unlucky to come away without a point after the Malaysian team needed a debatable freekick to quell what was a brave challenge from a relatively young Bengaluru side. Ayeyawady meanwhile bounced back from an 8-1 campaign opening defeat to Johor with a 4-2 victory over Lao Toyota.

Hit with a slew of injuries, Ashley Westwood has constantly had to shuffle his side to deal with a packed domestic calendar and Asian competition and it will be interesting to see what team the Englishman rolls out on Wednesday. Curtis Osano and CK Vineeth, who missed the Blues’ last two games with groin strains, have made the trip while skipper Sunil Chhetri, who had no part to play in the defeat to Johor, could be in contention to make the starting XI.

Johor with two wins in as many games lead Group H with 6 points followed by Ayeyawady and Lao with 3 points each while Bengaluru lie at the bottom with a chance to climb up on Wednesday.

Ayeyawady will be relying on their Nigerian striker Christopher Chizoba who notched up a hat-trick in the win over Lao. Chizoba, interestingly, has an India connection of sorts having turned out for Kolkata side Mohun Bagan. He also had stints at Kalighat MS, Mohammedan Sporting, Shillong Lajong and Lonestar Kashmir FC.  

Bengaluru, however, will not have too much to worry about at the back should they be able to churn out the defensive performance like the one they rolled out against Johor. Young Salam Ranjan Singh was composed alongside John Johnson while Keegan Pereira, Lalchhuanmawia and Rino Anto refused to let anything slip by between them.

Vineeth’s return should also boost the Blues’ attack should Westwood decide to play him. The quick striker has five goals for the Blues in all competitions and was on target in the loss against Lao Toyota. Udanta Singh, meanwhile, has been improving with every game and could play a pivotal part in Bengaluru’s scheme of things on Wednesday.

The game kicks off at 3 pm IST.