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Seah's strike sinks Mahindras

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI DEC. 23. Salgaocar Sports Club lived dangerously, but a 75th minute Sunday Seah goal and absence of sharpness in desperate Mahindra United attacks ensured that the visitors from Goa finished on the right side of a 1-0 scoreline in the seventh National Football League match on Monday.

The match-winner came off the best moment of this fiercely contested 90-minute encounter at the Cooperage, the versatile goalkeeper-cum-striker volleying home on the run.

The goal happened after an off-balance R.P. Singh lost possession, enabling Dharamjit Singh to latch onto the ball in his stride, tear into the MU defence and find Seah on the right flank with a timely through pass.

The Salgaocar forward trapped the ball in stride, powered his way into the rival D and then unleashed a right-footed volley to the roof of the net. Mahindra goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar shaped up to cover the angle, but was beaten by the velocity and placement, all done so quickly that it was over before anyone could comprehend the final touch to the move.

Tomba Singh earlier squandered an opportunity to score first, finding his right-footer swirling wide off the post after being placed in scoring position. Dudu Omagbemi had proved his worth with an audacious volley from 30-yards out in the first half, the ball floated towards the left post before a scrambling Akhtar leaped up to block and collect.

The Salgaocar striker later got a red card for a rash challenge, his second yellow of the match.

Referee S. Suresh almost let the match slip out of control by ignoring an earlier Peter Siddique challenge from behind on Dudu, provoking the latter to lose his cool and subsequent dismissal.

Salgaocar managed to play out time after being reduced to 10 men, with the United offensive lacking the punch needed to break open an inconsistent Goan defence where skipper Roberto Fernandes, named the `man of the match', was a steady influence even as goalkeeper Juje Siddi's hesitancy when handling crosses infused hope in the MU camp.

The Salgaocar custodian steadied himself in the second session as his team finished with 13 points from eight matches while the Mumbai side remain on six points from the same number of games.

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