Bengaluru FC are Durand Cup champions

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC added yet another piece of silverware to an already impressive collection when they were crowned champions of the historic Durand Cup, beating Mumbai City FC 2-1, at the Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, on Sunday. Sivasakthi Narayanan (11’) opened the scoring for Bengaluru early with a delightful take, before Apuia Ralte’s (30’) tap-in from close saw Mumbai draw level. But Alan Costa’s (61’) thumping header from a corner was enough to see Simon Grayson begin his reign as Bengaluru manager with a title. 

Grayson made two changes to the side that took on Hyderabad FC in the semifinal as Sivasakthi replaced Rohit Kumar, while Alan Costa started ahead of Parag Shrivas at the back. Des Buckingham recalled the services of Apuia, while Greg Stewart and Lallianzuala Chhangte continued in attack.

Bengaluru started the stronger of the two outfits, and scored with what was their first chance of the game. Aleksandar Jovanovic, spotting Sivasakthi with a chance to run at the Islanders backline, lifted a punt over the top that Mourtada Fall missed. Sensing the opportunity, Sivasakthi continued his run and nudged the Senegalese defender out of the way, before lobbing a mature finish over Phurba Lachenpa to put his side in the lead.

Grayson’s side attacked with intent down both flanks as Naorem Roshan Singh and Prabir Das stretched play at every opportunity. Ahmed Jahouh had Mumbai’s first chance, with his effort from distance flying off target, before Buckhingham’s side found the equalizer through Apuia on the half hour mark.  

Stewart’s quick free-kick allowed Mumbai a shot on target that Gurpreet Singh Sandhu managed to parry. However, Apuia was alert to the danger and managed to slot home on the rebound past Sandesh Jhingan’s attempted last-ditch challenge.

Only eight minutes later, Sivasakthi almost reclaimed the lead for Bengaluru after Alan Costa’s header from a corner fell to Roy Krishna. The Fiji International’s shot found its way to Sivasakthi, who attempted a flicked finish, but Jahouh hooked away off the line to keep things level. 

Into the second period, Bengaluru had the first chance when Sivasakthi forced Lachenpa into a wayward pass that Chhetri intercepted before feeding Krishna in space. Krishna’s attempt from distance seemed to be heading toward goal, but for Mumbai defender Royston Griffiths, who nodded over.

The Blues continued to push forward in search of the lead and almost found it when Jayesh Rane’s deft chip found Chhetri unmarked in the box. The skipper took a touch and composed himself, but his shot was met by a fine save from Lachenpa. From the resulting corner, however, Bengaluru would retake their lead.

Chhetri’s delivery, floated in with pace, was met by a thumping header from Brazilian defender Costa, which flew past Lachenpa and gave Grayson’s side the lead once again. Costa would be replaced soon after, as Grayson rang a first change of the evening, introducing Parag Shrivas.

Into the final quarter, the hosts rang in two changes as Fall and Vinit Rai were replaced by Alberto Noguera and Mehtab Singh. Bengaluru had a chance to put the game to bed in the 87th minute when Chhetri was found in the box by Sivasakthi, but the skipper, who managed to skip past two defenders, saw his effort fly over the bar.

Into added time, Mumbai almost drew level through Stewart, who managed to get a shot away but it rolled off target. The Blues return to Indian Super League action next, where they begin with a clash against NorthEast United at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru, on October 8th.

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.

Spirited Bengaluru FC exit Durand Cup with defeat in sudden death to FC Goa

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC’s Durand Cup campaign came to a heartbreaking end following their defeat to FC Goa in the semifinal, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, on Wednesday. Sivasakthi Narayanan (1’, 83’) scored at either end of regulation time, with Devendra Murgaokar (8’) and Redeem Tlang (72’) getting on the scoresheet for Goa. With both teams on level terms at the end of extra time, the game moved to a penalty shootout, where Damaitphang Lyngdoh saw his effort saved in sudden death, which meant curtains for the Blues in Kolkata.

Naushad Moosa made two changes to the team that beat Army Green in the quarterfinal, with Namgyal Bhutia and Akashdeep Singh replacing Biswa Darjee and Leon Augustine. On the other bench, Juan Ferrando made three changes; Naveen Kumar, Ivan Gonzalez, Alberto Noguera coming in place of Dheeraj Singh, Brandon Fernandes and Aibanbha Dohling.

Goa got the ball rolling and the Blues’ high press right from kickoff caught their goalkeeper Naveen Kumar off guard, whose attempt to clear was blocked by Sivasakthi, deflecting the ball into the goal to put Bengaluru 1-0 up. Goa made it 1-1 minutes later when Devendra headed in Muhammed Nemil’s corner from close range.

Despite the early equaliser, the Blues stuck to the game plan and made frequent inroads into the final third. First, Sivasakthi made space for himself and took a shot that curled away from the goal. Later, Bidyashagar Singh, on as an early replacement for the injured Harmanpreet Singh, cut inside from the left and saw his shot blocked for a corner. Minutes after, Sivasakthi found Bhutia’s run from inside the Blues’ half, but the 22-year-old’s first time effort sailed well over.

Just past the half hour mark, Sanson Pereira found his way into the Blues box and found Edu Bedia in the middle, but Wungngayam Muirang was alert to head the ball away with ’keeper Lara Sharma off his line.

On the other side of the break, Bengaluru took less than two minutes to carve open the Goan defence, when Sivasakthi played Bidyashagar through, but the forward saw his shot go high and wide. Two minutes later, skipper Ajith, pressing high up the pitch, stole possession outside the box, made his way in and found Akashdeep, whose shot was off target.

Goa’s first shot on target in the second half came from an Edu freekick, but Lara was alert to dive low and make the block. Looking to get a foothold in the game, Ferrando made a triple substitution in the 61st minute, bringing on Makan Chothe, Redeem and Aibanbha Dohling for Devendra, Nemil and Spaniard Ivan Gonzalez. The changes worked, as substitute Redeem put Goa 2-1 up with a left foot finish.

Sivasakthi, who gave the Blues the lead in the opening minute, brought them back into the game with a well taken header off Bhutia’s cross to make it 2-2, and take the game into extra time.

The thirty added minutes in humid conditions failed to separate the sides, as both teams, tired but resolute, stood firm to take the game into a penalty shootout. Muirang, Ajay Chhetri, Parag Shrivas, Bhutia, Ajith and Bekey Oram found the back of the net, while Akashdeep saw his effort saved, and Lara did well to block Reddem’s penalty. Damaitphang Lyngdoh saw his spot kick saved in sudden death, confirming an exit from the competition for the Blues with a 7-6 defeat in the shootout.

Bengaluru FC take on Indian Navy in Durand Cup with an eye on quarterfinal spot

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC Coach Naushad Moosa dismissed claims that his side would play defensive football, despite needing just a point to reach the quarterfinals of the 130th Durand Cup, as they take on Indian Navy Football Team in their final group stage clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, on Tuesday. With four points from two games, Bengaluru sit atop Group C, followed by Kerala Blasters and Indian Navy, who have three points apiece.

 

“We are going into this game looking for the win. At Bengaluru FC, we always want to play good football and win games. We don’t believe in playing for a draw. I am very happy with the way this team has performed so far, and we’ll continue to give our best when we step onto the pitch on Tuesday,” said Moosa, speaking at the pre-match Press Conference.

 

Indian Navy, who come into the game with three points in the bag, beat Delhi FC 2-1 in their opener, before going down 1-0 to Kerala Blasters. With every team in the group standing a mathematical chance to make it through, Moosa said he expects a tough encounter against the Armed Forces side, who need a win to progress to the next stage.

 

“Indian Navy are a strong unit, both tactically and physically. Our boys have been performing well considering the pitch conditions and the fact that other teams have fielded foreigners. We just need to be pressing more as a team, and I have seen improvement in that aspect. Players like Damaitphang [Lyngdoh], Sivasakthi [Narayanan] and others have shown that size doesn’t matter and that they can do well when they are on the pitch,” said Moosa.

 

Despite fielding a very young side in the tournament, the Blues remain the only unbeaten team in Group C, following their 2-0 opening day win against Kerala and a 2-2 draw against Delhi FC on Saturday.

 

“At this club, our philosophy is to have youngsters come in from the academy setup and we believe in grooming players, right from the youth teams to the reserve team. The management, the coaches, and even the fans, believe in this philosophy. Head Coach Marco (Pezzaiuoli) is also very happy with the way the boys have been performing in Kolkata, and we are constantly reviewing their performances,” Moosa added.

 

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and the Indian Navy Football Team is scheduled for 3 PM on Tuesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.

 

Bengaluru, Delhi play out entertaining 2-2 draw

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC and Delhi FC played out a hard-fought 2-2 draw in their Durand Cup Group C clash, at the Mohun Bagan Ground, in Kolkata, on Saturday. Sivasakthi Narayanan (27’) put the Blues ahead before Willis Plaza (57’, 61’) turned it around for Delhi in the second half. Substitute Bidyashagar Singh (75’) brought Bengaluru back on level terms, helping Naushad Moosa's side take a point from the encounter.

Moosa made three changes to the team that defeated Kerala Blasters in the opening game, with Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Leon Augustine and Harmanpreet Singh replacing Akashdeep Singh, Namgyal Bhutia and Bidyashagar.

Ajith Kumar, who captained the side yet again, had to be alert in the fifth minute to intercept Plaza’s cross to Himanshu Jangra in the box. The Blues’ first chance of the game came when Sivasakthi was released down the right wing, and the striker’s cutback found Ajay Chhetri, whose shot was blocked by a sliding Suraj. At the other end, Lara Sharma had to be alert to deny Rinreithan Shaiza.

The Blues broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Ajay's freekick bounced off the wall and Delhi goalkeeper Lovepreet Singh failed to collect. Sivasakthi, alert enough to poke home from close range, put BFC ahead.

The final effort of the half fell Delhi’s way when Shaiza got free down the left flank, but saw his shot well blocked at the near post by Lara.

Looking to get back into the game, Delhi brought on Victor Philip in place of Nikhil Mali as a halftime substitute. The Nigerian made an instant impact when his cross into the box was headed home by Plaza, past Lara. Minutes later, the Trinidad And Tobago striker got a second when his shot from a tight angle crept past Lara at the near post to put the Blues 2-1 down.

At the other end, substitute Bidyashagar, replacing Leon, also made an instant impact when he got to Harmanpreet’s cross and found the back of the net from an almost impossible angle, to bring Bengaluru back on level terms.

The Blues kept knocking at Delhi’s door in search of the winner, and had a few good chances to retake the lead. First, Bidyashagar saw his effort parried by Lovepreet and Harmanpreet was unable to get to the rebound. Later, Harmanpreet skipped free down the right and found Sivasakthi with a cross, but a combination of Loverpreet's hands and a defender's goal-line clearance denied the striker his second of the game. The final chance saw Akashdeep sent free down the middle by Sivasakthi, but the youngster’s shot sailed inches wide of the post, and the Blues had to settle for a draw.

BFC are back in action on Tuesday, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, when they take on Indian Navy. 

 

Bengaluru FC to begin Durand Cup campaign against Kerala Blasters

Bengaluru FC Media 

Blues coach Naushad Moosa maintained that his young side will be out to impress when they take on Kerala Blasters FC in their opening fixture of the Durand Cup, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Wednesday. Bengaluru, grouped alongside Kerala, Delhi FC and Indian Navy in Group C, will look to start strong, with the top two teams from each group set to qualify for the quarterfinals.

“We had a long pre-season for the AFC Cup, and our squad for this tournament has many youngsters who haven’t played too many competitive games over the last few months. We have a mixture of U18 graduates and reserve team players who Marco (Pezzaiuoli) believes have good potential. The Durand Cup is a prestigious tournament, and we’ll look at how these players can perform under pressure against big teams,” Moosa said, speaking at the pre-match press conference.

The Blues’ first opponents Kerala have already opened their account in Kolkata, beating Indian Navy 1-0 courtesy Uruguayan midfielder Adrian Luna’s penalty on September 11.

“Kerala have come here with a full strength squad, and have won their first game too. That said, it is important for any team playing in the competition to give their best, and that holds true for us as well. We are very serious about this tournament, and the players also know how important this is for them. They are raring to get onto the pitch and show everyone what they are capable of,” Moosa added.

While Kerala make their debut in the competition this year, the Blues have two previous appearances, having made it to the semifinals once, losing out to Salgaocar on penalties in their debut campaign in 2014. Moosa’s young side finished second in their group, in their most recent tournament appearance in 2019.

“As a coach, it isn’t easy for Marco to give chances to everyone, even though he wants to. That’s why we have brought a young team here, and everyone will get the chance to prove themselves. As a club, we are very invested in our youth development program and we want to reach a point where we have a senior squad that has a balance of experienced players and youngsters. It will take time, but we are on the right path. We have had encouraging signs over the last few years, in Suresh (Wangjam), Leon (Augustine) and Parag (Shrivas) to name a few. This year, Damaitphang (Lyngdoh) and Sivasakthi (Narayanan) made their first team debuts,” said Moosa, who lifted the Durand Cup as a player with Mahindra & Mahindra in 2002.

Kickoff between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters is scheduled for 3 PM on Wednesday, and the match will be streamed live on the Addatimes website and app.

Shivasakthi comes in clutch as Bengaluru FC boys down MEG

Bengaluru FC Media 

An injury time strike from top-scorer Shivasakthi gave Bengaluru FC a 1-0 win over MEG & Centre, at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, on Thursday. The result sees the Blue Colts leapfrog FC Bengaluru United to go top of the BDFA Super Division League table with two games left to play in the competition.

In what was an evenly contested first half, both teams fought hard to assert themselves on the game throughout the opening half hour. Chances were at a premium, and it was the Blue Colts who went close to getting the opening goal on three separate occasions through Shivasakthi.

First, the no. 9 managed to wriggle past multiple challenges and beat MEG custodian Pramod Joshi with a low shot, only to see the ball bounce off the far post. Moments later, Damaitphang Lyngdoh won the ball in the middle and picked out Sivasakthi’s run into the box but the striker’s shot sailed inches wide of the far post. The Blue Colts striker saw a third chance go begging when his attempt to divert goalward from Jagdeep’s low cross went wide of the mark.

The second half saw MEG start on the front foot, and the Blue Colts defended in numbers to keep the game goalless. ’Keeper Sharon Sivan pulled off two fantastic saves, first tipping Shubham Rana’s shot over the bar and then getting his hand to Imnaakum’s effort from close range.

Pushing forward with intent, Bengaluru found their goal deep into injury time when Shivasakthi got to the end of Omega Vanlalruaituanga’s ball over the MEG backline. Having beaten defender Nitin with his first touch, the 19-year-old rounded Joshi, who had made his way out of the box, and then kept his composure to finish low past stranded MEG defenders to give the Blue Colts the win with what was the final attack of the day.

Bengaluru FC are back in action on March 8 when they take on FC Bengaluru United. A win on Monday will hand Bhoite’s side the title with an unassailable lead atop the standings.

Shivasakthi's first-half hat-trick help Bengaluru regain top spot

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC returned to winning ways with a 3-0 defeat of Bangalore Independents FC, at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, on Monday. Striker Shivasakthi’s first-half hat-trick proved the difference as Sandesh Bhoite’s side regained their spot at the summit in the BDFA Super Division standings.

The Blues Colts dominated proceedings from the start and took the lead with just six minutes on the clock when Thoi Singh found himself in space and unmarked in the middle of the pitch. The midfielder picked out Shivasakthi with a through ball and the Blue Colts’ no. 9 finished past the onrushing Nishanth N. to put BFC 1-0 up. Only two minutes later, he doubled the lead when he won the ball off Navneeth Krishna at the edge of the box and finished with a first-time effort that found the bottom corner.

Shivasakthi completed his hat-trick right on the half hour mark when he dropped deep to evade his markers and picked Thoi’s run on the left wing with a through ball. The winger cut into the box past Independents defender Surendra and pulled it back to Shivasakthi, who smashed it into the roof of the net from close range to make it 3-0.

Four minutes into the second half, the Blue Colts almost added a fourth to the scoreboard when Monirul Molla, on as a half time substitute, found his way into the box and picked out Shivasakthi but the striker’s shot was straight at the ‘keeper. The Blue Colts controlled proceedings for the rest of the half, rang in several changes and saw out the game with ease, to take all three points and go top of the standings.

Bengaluru FC are back in action on February 26 when they take on ASC.

Shivasakthi score five, Bengaluru FC register massive win against Income Tax

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC continued their winning start to the BDFA Super Division campaign with a convincing 8-1 defeat of Income Tax FC, at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, on Wednesday. Eighteen year old Shivasakthi was the star of the day, with his five goals helping Sandesh Bhoite’s side climb to the summit of the table on goals scored.

Bengaluru’s early pressure paid off with the side taking the lead in the 3rd minute when Lastborn Mawphiang ran down the right flank and his low cross into the box was finished by Shivasakthi. The second goal, 12 minutes later, was almost a carbon copy of the first. The striker managed to get to the end of a low pass into the box, with Monirul Molla getting the assist this time. Shiva then turned provider, as his pass found Ratanbi Singh who took the ball past Goushik in goal and finished into an empty net.

Shivasakthi got his hat-trick just before the half hour mark, when he intercepted a pass on the halfway line, carried it into the box and finished low past Goushik. Only three minutes later, he got his boot to Lalthangliana’s cross and beat the ’keeper to put the Blue Colts 5-0 up. Income Tax scored with their first shot on goal, when Vasanth managed to capitalise on a defensive lapse before beating Dipesh Chauhan at the far post. 

The Blue Colts dominated proceedings on the other side of the break, and it took only five minutes for them to add to the scoreline again. Shiva latched on to N.S. Shigil’s through ball, managed to feint his way past the ‘keeper before sending his marker the wrong way and finishing into an open goal.

Things went from bad to worse for Income Tax, when their custodian Goushik was shown a second yellow card after he was adjudged to have handled the ball outside the box. Bekey Oram, on as a substitute, scored from a free kick only moments later to put the Blue Colts 7-1 up. From the edge of the box, Oram managed to find a gap in the Income Tax wall and Andreco could only watch as the ball sailed past him. 

Bengaluru’s final goal on the day came from a mix up in the Income Tax defence. Akashdeep failed to get enough on his shot, but a failure to clear their lines saw the ball deflect off Shashidharan and into the far post past a hapless Andreco.

The Blue Colts are back in action on February 2 when they take on Students Union FC.

Bengaluru FC boys keep the ball rolling with 4-2 win over Deccan

Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC came from a goal down to beat FC Deccan 4-2 at the Bengaluru Football Stadium on Wednesday. Coach Sandesh Bhoite made one change from the opening game of the BDFA Super Division season as Bekey Oram moved to the bench and Kamalesh replaced him for the Blue Colts.

Despite having the majority of possession and dominating the game, Bengaluru fell behind to a well-worked goal as Deccan moved the ball to the left flank and Kaviarasan’s first time finish from the cross beat Dipesh Chauhan in goal.

However, the Blue Colts took less than five minutes to equalise when Shivasakthi dropped back to pick up possession, turned his marker and thread in a through pass to Kamalesh. The midfielder took a touch before composing a firm, low finish past Dilip.

Early in the second half, Deccan had a chance to retake the lead when the referee pointed to the spot following a foul by Jagdeep Singh, despite the linesman deeming the contact to have happened outside the area. Dipesh did well to dive right and save Sajeesh’s effort to keep the scores level.

Four minutes later, the Blue Colts took the lead through Akashdeep Singh. The winger cut into the box and finished past the ‘keeper at the far post to give the Blues the lead. Only two minutes later, the Blue Colts won a penalty of their own when Shivasakthi was bundled over inside the area. Thoi Singh’s low shot beat Dilip, who went the wrong way, to make it 3-1.

Sajeesh then atoned for his penalty miss nine minutes from time when he rose high to head home from a corner, but all hopes of an FC Deccan revival were thwarted when the Blue Colts added one more to the board on the 90th minute mark. Lastborn Mawphiang carried the ball forward on a counter and picked out Omega Vanlalruaituanga, who finished from the edge of the box to make it 4-2 and seal the points.

The Blues are back in action at the same venue on January 27 when they take on Income Tax FC.

Bengaluru FC cruise past Young Challengers

 Bengaluru FC Media 

Bengaluru FC began their BDFA Super Division League campaign with a convincing 3-0 win against Young Challengers FC, at the Bengaluru Football Stadium, on Friday. Lalhmunmawia’s goal in the first half was added to by strikes from Shivasakthi and Ratanbi Singh as the Blue Colts capped off a dominant performance.

Bengaluru were on the front foot from the start, with Sandesh Bhoite’s side camping in the opposition half, dictating proceedings for the most part. The first shot at goal came in the eighth minute when, with possession just outside the box, Bekey Oram saw an opening. The youngster’s opportunistic strike sailed just over the bar.

Bekey’s presence in the midfield was key to Bengaluru having a majority of the possession, and he was central to the move that put the side ahead. The midfielder won the ball in midfield, found Akashdeep Singh’s run with a perfectly weighted ball and Lalhmunmawia made no mistake in finishing the winger’s cross on the half volley.

Past the half hour mark, Shivasakthi got the ball at the edge of the box, turned his marker and evaded a few challenges but his shot lacked power and it was an easy save for the ’keeper. The final chance of the first half came in the 41st minute when Bekey’s danced past a few challenges and, with the ’keeper coming off his line, attempted a lob but was denied by a goal line clearance.

Five minutes into the second half, Bengaluru had a penalty and a chance to double their lead. Shigil NS, on as a half time substitute, won the spot-kick after he was brought down by Challengers’ goalkeeper Dilip V. However, Lalhmunmawia’s effort from the spot was saved by Dilip, who then did well to block the rebound.

Despite the miss, Bengaluru stayed on top of their game, and their persistence was rewarded in the 62nd minute when Shigil played Shivasakthi through. The Bengaluru forward found himself one-on-one with the ’keeper and beat him at the near post to double his side’s lead.

Shivasakthi then turned provider for Bengaluru’s third goal, as he found Ratanbi Singh on the overlap. The latter, who came on as a substitute, cut past his marker and unleashed a shot that bounced off the underside of the bar and into the goal. Dipesh Chauhan, a spectator for most of the match, showed good reflexes in the dying moments of the game to preserve his clean sheet.

The Blue Colts are back in action on January 20 when they take on FC Deccan at the same venue.