Salgaocar out of NFL top division

Margao: Salgaocar's went down 1-4 to Mohammedan Sporting to bow out of 10th ONGC National League in Margao on Saturday.

Mohammedan Sporting, who needed only a draw to avoid relegation, started positively and surged ahead in the 14th minute.

Patrick Okanji accepted a pass inside the box from Mukhter, dodged past a couple of defenders and keeper Sangram Mukherjee before sloting the ball into the net to put Sporting 1-0 up at half time.

Gley Rodrigues than doubled the lead for Sporting in the 55th minute when he slammed the ball in after Patrick split the defence with a through pass.

Salgaocar could have easily scored a couple of goals in the first half but Jyothi Kumar and Ashim Biswas failed to direct their shots on target when presented with chances.

Substitute Satyajit Bose than killed off the match for Salgaocar when he headed home a cross from the right by Mohammed Mukhter in the 70th minute.

Thus, Salgaocar, who won the title in 1997 finished their league engagement with 12 points from 17 matches, finished at the bottom.

So they were relegated to the second division of NFL.

Mohammedan Sporting finished their league engagement with 17 points from 17 matches.

Gley Rodrigues who scored his brace rounded off the tally in the 82nd minute to give sporting an emphatic win.

Fabio Passo scored a consolation goal in the 87th minute for Salgaocar through a penalty after Satyajit Bose tripped Aseem K inside the box.

Patrick Okanji, who scored a brace, got the man of the match award.

Salgaocar coach Savio Medeira was disappointed with the team performance who failed to live up to the expectation after Sporting played a positive game.

"The defence left lot of gap after we tried to pressurise the rival fort as they socred two goals to seal our fate. We will try to come back like Dempo and Churchill who were earlier relegated in the second division league of NFL," Medeira said.

While Sporting coach Subhas Bhowmick was a happy man as his team played well and won the match comfortably.

"I just can't express my feelings as we both were sailing in the same boat," Bhowmick said.