The Hindu : Sport / Football : MSU edges past Arrows

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MSU edges past Arrows

Chennai: With seconds remaining in the three added minutes, Madras Sporting Union clinched a 3-2 win over Arrows FC in the St. Joseph’s-CFA Senior Division league here on Friday.

Taking a free kick between the left touchline and the 18-yard box, S.B. Pradeepkumar curled the ball between his onrushing teammates and the Arrows goalkeeper, and into the goal on the bounce.

MSU, the better team by far throughout the game, deserved to win for the sheer amount of time its players spent within the Arrows half.

The first goal of the match came in the fifth minute. Ghanaian centre forward Amoafo created space for himself through an exchange of passes with midfielder Zothansanga, and rolled the ball from left to centre, where his strike partner P.C. Riju beat the keeper with an instinctive backheel.

MSU began the second half with an almost arrogant spell of possession, the Arrows players reduced to being spectators as a series of passes zipped around them, culminating with Amoafo rattling the crossbar.

Against the run of play, Arrows equalised in the 56th minute, Pugazhendhi turning in a corner at the unprotected near post.

MSU’s response was swift, Amoafo converting a penalty which he had earned himself, brought down in the box as he latched on to a neatly weighted through ball from Zothansanga.

Arrows was reduced to 10 men soon after, with centre half M.P. Rajan sent off for kicking Zothansanga near the corner flag, after the MSU player had tried to take the ball off him as he lay prone on the grass.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, Arrows equalised again, through another set piece. Egyptian striker Stanley scored direct from a free kick, the manner it went in a portent of Pradeepkumar’s eventual winner.

Earlier, Central Excise beat RBI 2-1 in a first division match. Tamil Arulan and K. Sivaraj scored Excise’s goals, while Somu knocked in RBI’s. — Sports Reporter

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