KOLKATA: There’s no end to Mohammedan Sporting’s inconsistent and woeful run in the I-League as Kibu Vicuna’s side went down 1-2 to Churchill Brothers at the Kishore Bharati Stadium on Tuesday.
Churchill went into the break with a 1-0 lead from Sharif Mohammad’s goal in the 42nd minute. After a series of missed opportunities in the second half, when Abiola Adedeji Dauda made it 1-1 in the 90th minute, Mohammedan Sporting thought about doing enough to rescue a point, if not more, from the match.
But Abdoulaye Sane — who replaced Emmanuel Yaghr in the 80th minute — dealt the decisive blow to the home team’s hopes, beating goalkeeper Zothanmawia with a brilliant left-footed angular finish four minutes into the stoppage time.
Mohammedan Sporting’s third loss in four matches has seen them languish in ninth place with 17 points from as many games, just three points above the relegation zone. Churchill moved up to fifth with 23 points.
Both teams played the final quarter of the match with 10 men. Churchill’s Senegalese defender Momo Cisse received a straight red card in the 71st minute and Mohammedan Sporting’s Sairuatkima was expelled for double booking four minutes later.
However, Mohammedan Sporting failed to take advantage of an extra man when Sairuatkima’s reckless challenge on earned him a second booking and the eventual expulsion.
Elsewhere, Sreenidi Deccan FC opened up a provisional three-point lead (34) over Punjab FC, beating TRAU 2-1 and inflicting on the Manipuri side their first loss at home in the 2022-2023 edition of the league.
