Bengaluru FC Colts make semifinal with 1-0 win over Roots FC

A late winner from Lalremtluanga Fanai was enough as Bengaluru FC edged 1-0 past Roots FC in a Zone ‘B’ encounter of the Puttaiah Memorial Cup, at the Bangalore Football Stadium, in Bengaluru, on Saturday. The victory is the Blue Colts’ second on the trot, having beaten Kodagu FC 5-0 in the opener early on in the week.

Earlier, Jan van Loon made one change to his side as Dipesh Chauhan replaced Sharon Padattil in goal. A first half that saw majority of the action in the middle of the park saw both sides struggling to create chances. Thoi Singh came closest to breaking the deadlock when he met a cross from Sudheer Kotikala, but the winger’s shot blazed over the bar. 

Bengaluru had their best chance of the half just moments before the break when Robin Yadav’s shot from distance tested the Roots goalkeeper, but the shot was parried away to safety. Into the second period, Bengaluru came out firing and found the net within five minutes of the restart. 

Akashdeep, found deep by Thoi, sent in a cross for the forward to run onto but the side-footed attempt was off-target. Only moments later, Thoi’s freekick was tipped over the bar. The Blue Colts continued to push forward and saw another big chance go begging when Akashdeep was found unmarked in the 18-yard-box by Felixson Fernandes, with the defender's low cross met with power by the striker, but the effort was off target.

With five minutes left to play in regulation time, substitute Lalpekhlua made an instant impact off the bench, setting up Fanai with a deep cross. The winger, who skipped past his man, sent in an inch-perfect pass for the midfielder, who nodded it beyond the goalkeeper.

The Blue Colts face Kickstart FC next, on 15 August, at the same venue. 

 

Bengaluru colts go down to Leicester City in PL Next Gen Cup

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC’s opening encounter of the PL Next Gen Cup saw Naushad Moosa’s side go down 6-3 to Leicester City at the Leicester City Academy Grounds, in Loughborough, on Wednesday. The Foxes, who raced to a 6-0 lead through goals from Kian Pennant (13’, 27’), William Alves (18’) and Chris Popov (21’, 52’, 61), were met by a resolute second half performance from the Blue Colts, which saw Sivasakthi Narayanan (67’, 73’) and Damaitphang Lyngdoh (68’) find their name on the scoresheet. 

Moosa’s boys started bright and came close to scoring inside the first five minutes when Bekey Oram’s shot was saved by Arlo Doherty in the Leicester goal. Only minutes later, the hosts took the lead when Popov drove free down the right to find Pennant, whose initial effort was saved by Sharon Padattil, only for the England international to slot home on the rebound. 

Earlier, Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Thoi Singh and Lalremtluanga Fanai were named in midfield by Moosa, with Akashdeep Singh, Thoi Singh and Sivasakthi tasked in the attacking third. At the back, Robin Yadav and Felixson Fernandes marshaled a backline that had Namgyal Bhutia and Clarence Fernandes as fullbacks with Sharon in goal.

Leicester’s second came through Alves, who managed to latch onto a deflected effort to volley goalward and past Sharon. Just past the 20 minute mark, Popov scored his first of the evening, with a heavy deflection off Robin Yadav leaving Sharon rooted as the ball looped over and went in off the upright. Pennant would add another for the Foxes ahead of the break, as the Blue Colts made their way down the tunnel with a 4-0 deficit.

Into the second period, Bengaluru were pegged back again by Popov, who scored his second with a neat finish from the edge of the box. Popov rounded off his hat-trick from the spot after Dipesh Chauhan, on in the second half for Sharon, was adjudged to have fouled the Welshman in the box. 

Despite their 6-0 deficit, the Blue Colts kept pushing and found the net for the first time through Sivasakthi, who slid the ball through Doherty just past the hour mark. Moments later, a set-piece routine saw Leicester clear the ball in a haste, allowing Damaitphang Lyngdoh the opportunity to strike from distance, through a crowd and past Doherty, to make it 6-2. 

Bengaluru refused to relent, and scored again in the 73rd minute when Sivasakthi’s strike from distance evaded Doherty’s dive. Dipesh was called into action once again when Clarence Fernandes, making his competitive debut for the Blue Colts, was adjudged to have brought Pennant down in the box. The winger stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved well by Dipesh, who then proceeded to recover and save the strike on the rebound to keep the score unchanged.

Bengaluru continued to push forward in search of goals, but the referee called time on the proceedings, sending Naushad Moosa’s men towards an encounter for third place, for which the Blue colts will face Nottingham Forest on 30th July, Saturday, at the same venue.

Lightning first half display helps Kickstart beat Bengaluru FC and keep them in title contention

Bengaluru FC Media  

Kickstart FC’s four first half goals were enough to see pick up all three points, in a BDFA Super Division encounter at the Bangalore Football Stadium, on Tuesday. Goals from Ankith P (12’), Solaimalai (33’, 45’) and Princewill Olariche (42’) saw Kickstart get off to a flying start. The Blue Colts managed to score twice in the second half but it would count for nothing. Macarton Nickson (47’) and Robin Yadav (89’) got on the scoresheet for Bengaluru FC.  

It was Ankith’s in the 12th minute of the game who found himself in a great position during Kickstart FC’s first attack of the game, and managed to get a shot off his right foot to send the ball past Dipesh Chauhan in goal. Bengaluru FC kept pressing for the equaliser but their efforts were futile after Solaimalai’s initial shot was saved, but the rebound fell kindly to the same player only for him to curl it past Dipesh in goal to double the lead in the 33rd minute. 

The Blue Colts struggled to find their rhythm which resulted in Kickstart FC capitalising and scoring two more in the last five minutes of the game. Princewill Olariche scored KFC’s third of the afternoon after putting his laces through the ball on the volley and burying into the bottom corner. It went from bad to worse for the Blues as Solaimalai scored his second goal of the game in the dying minutes of the first half after finding himself in the right place at the right time in the box and booting it into the roof of the net from close range. 

The Blue Colts came out a different team in the second half and were on the attack from the get go. Bengaluru FC scored within the first two minutes of the second half after a beautifully threaded through ball from Thoi Singh found Macarton Nickson who made the perfect run to stay onside to find himself in a 1v1 position with the goalkeeper. 

The forward kept his cool and slotted it past Jayanthkumar Krishnamurthy to make it 4-1. Macarton made all the right noise after coming on in the second half creating multiple chances for the Blue Colts. The BFC number ten found himself through on goal again in the 80th minute and was brought down by the goalkeeper, but the referee chose to wave on play. Bengaluru did get a penalty awarded to them a minute from time, that Robin Yadav converted to make it 4-2.