Salgaocar FC trash Bharat FC 5-1 to take relegation battle to the wire

Salgaocar vs Bharat FC

Darryl Duffy and Douhou Pierre both scored a brace as Salgaocar FC demolished Bharat FC 5-1 in their penultimate game of the I-League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Sunday. Salgaocar led 2-0 in the first session with Bikash Jairu also among the goals. Bharat FC's only goal was scored by Kris Bright through a 63rd-minute penalty.

The win means Salgaocar FC now have 21 points and will need only a draw against Dempo SC in their concluding league clash to avoid relegation. Salgaocar FC got a dream start when they opened their account in the third minute itself.

The spectators had hardly taken their seats and Bharat FC were hardly settled when Salgaocar struck through Darryl Duffy. A long ball from Zakeer Mundampara was trapped cleanly by Duffy and before Omar Jarun could close him down, the Scottish striker had put the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.

Salgaocar's lead was doubled in the eighth minute, this time through another defensive lapse by Bharat FC. It was Douhou Pierre who carved the opening when he found Bikash Jairu on the left and the young midfielder responded with a brilliant half volley that crashed into the top corner of the net.

Salgaocar picked up the second half where they had left off before the interval

Bharat FC were already two down inside the first ten minutes and it looked like it would be a tough task to claw their way back. Steven Dias tested Salgaocar goalkeeper Karanjit Singh with a long ranger and Omar was thwarted just in the nick of time by Salgaocar defender Augustine Fernandes. At the other end, Salgaocar could have made it 3-0 but Bikash took too long to take a shot on goal before he was blocked.

Bharat FC's best chance of the half to pull something back fell at the feet of Kris Bright but Bharat’s foreign striker disappointed with his faulty trap. In the second session, Duffy made it 3-0 in the 50th minute when he raced to meet a long ball from Zakeer, evaded a challenge from Gouramangi Singh and then chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Douhou then got on the scoresheet. In the 59th minute, Douhou stepped up his pace to beat his marker and then finish off with a low grounder that put the match beyond the visitors reach.

Bharat FC pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute when they were awarded a penalty as one of their defenders handled the ball inside the box. Kris Bright stepped up and made no mistake from the spot. There was, however, more to come from Salgaocar as Douhou scored his second goal and the team's fifth with a powerful shot that rocked the goalpost and sailed into the net.