Robin, Thoi double BFC's joy
All the talk in the lead-up to Bengaluru FC's Hero I-League encounter against Shillong Lajong focused on the poor state of the pitch at the Sree Kanteerava stadium here.
Fittingly, it was two brilliant headed goals - from Robin Singh and Thoi Singh - that helped the hosts quell the side from the hills and seal all three points despite being a man down for nearly an hour. BFC climbed to second in the table with 10 points from six ties.
Before the drama which led to defender Curtis Osano's dismissal late in the first half, the hosts made their attacking intentions clear when Robin's powerful header in the fifth minute fell straight into the hands of Lajong goalkeeper Rehenesh TP. Playing three at the back at times and allowing left-back Keegan Pereira to push further forward, Bengaluru created another early chance at goal but Thoi Singh's effort proved too tame.
Playing as a lone striker in front of Chhetri, Robin might not have made the most of the earlier pass by the industrious Beikhokhei Bengaichho. But he made sure he buried another well-weighted ball in from Sampangiraj in the 16th minute to give the hosts the breakthrough.
Having gauged their opponents' weakness against aerial attacks, the hosts took every opportunity to whip in crosses with pace. They nearly doubled their lead at the half-hour mark when a probing cross-field ball from right-back Shankar Sampangiraj found its way to an unmarked Sunil Chhetri, who failed to take his chance.
Things went awry four minutes from the change of ends when last man Osano was deemed to have pulled down Lajong's Cornell Glenn even as the burly striker appeared to be through on goal.
With the Kenyan-born English defender ejected, playmaker Joshua Walker temporarily plugged in the hole in defence but could only watch as goalkeeper Lalthuammawia Ralte spilt the sharp free kick and Lajong's Seiminlen Doungel did little with his reflex effort.
Chhetri's effort from the ensuing breakaway gave the hosts a sign that the contest was far from over and that there were more goals in the game. Collecting the ball at the halfway line, the skipper darted past two defenders down the left and struck the post with a left-footed drive.
Buyoed by their numerical advantage, Lajong pushed hard for an equalizer in the second half, but BFC were organized enough to soak it all in. And they were rewarded for their discipline when a rare forward thrust resulted in the insurance of a second goal in the 61st minute.
BFC's top-scorer so far this season, Eugenson Lyngdoh, turned provider floating in a delicate cross that Thoi, arriving late into the box, flicked into the net. A man down and two goals up, BFC's resolve proved too much for the visitors.
MATCHES
| Sat | 21/02/15 | Dempo | 0 - 2 | Shillong Lajong | ||
| Pune | 1 - 1 | Sporting Goa | ||||
| Sun | 22/02/15 | Bharat FC | 2 - 0 | Salgaocar | ||
| Fri | 27/02/15 | Shillong Lajong | 3 - 4 | Mohun Bagan | ||
| Bharat FC | 0 - 2 | Mumbai | ||||
| Sat | 28/02/15 | Sporting Goa | 08 : 00 | Bengaluru | ||
| Pune | 10 : 30 | Royal Wahingdoh | ||||
| Sun | 01/03/15 | Dempo | 10 : 30 | East Bengal | ||
| Tue | 03/03/15 | Salgaocar | 08 : 00 | Shillong Lajong | ||
| Mumbai | 10 : 30 | Bengaluru |
PLAYERS
| Player | Team |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Glenn | Shillong | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| T. Haokip | Pune | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| R. Martins | East Bengal | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Josimar | Mumbai | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Y. Katsumi | Mohun Bagan | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| K. Bright | Bharat FC | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| E. Lyngdoh | Bengaluru | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| D. Nikač | Pune | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| S. Nordé | Mohun Bagan | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| T. Singh | Bengaluru | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| S. Singh | Wahingdoh | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| B. Bewar | Wahingdoh | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| P. Boya | Mohun Bagan | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| B. Haokip | Shillong | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Seong-Yong Kim | Wahingdoh | 2 | 0 | 1 |
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