Following their impressive win against super-powers ONGC last week, Union Bank of India’s mid-season revival in the MFL Elite Division 2009-10 continued with a 6-1 demolition of Bank of India at the Cooperage Ground in Round Eight of regular season games.
Red-hot Reds
The aggressive Reds dominated every aspect of game play and scored at regular intervals against a Bank of India outfit that was unable to provide any solid resistance to the constant wave of attacks throughout the course of the ninety minutes.
Union Bank wasted no time in making their presence felt by taking an attacking approach right from kick-off. Despite making some good inroads into the opposition penalty area in the opening minutes, a string of unbelievable misses from point-blank range by the Reds forwards left the watching spectators and more importantly Coach Julian D’Silva visibly frustrated.
The Opener!
Bank of India’s defensive tactics finally fell apart at the half-hour mark as Union Bank opened the scoring in emphatic style. Striker Saad Ansari made amends for his misfiring deeds minutes earlier with a thumping volley off a looping header by Sandip Nadar. The keeper had absolutely no chance as the strike from six yards out rocketed into the roof of the net. Goal! 1-0 to Union Bank.
Less than sixty seconds later, Saad was back in the thick of things, beating the BOI keeper for the second time with a well-placed effort. Chasing a long ball inside the penalty area, the forward did well to out-muscle his marker to the ball before unleashing a looping effort over the charging keeper’s head and into the back of the net. Goal! 2-0 to the Reds.
In a complete reversal of fortunes for Union Bank, every attempt at goal from here on out seemed to miraculously find its way goalwards.
Lineker Brace
Midfielder Lineker Machado made it look all too easy with a rocket strike from the edge of the box which crashed into the top corner to put the result well and truly beyond BOI’s reach. Goal! 3-0.
Sheer determination presented Lineker with his second – and his team’s fourth goal - late in the first half. The midfielder beat the charging keeper to an ariel ball inside the six yard box - taking the full impact of a nasty head-on collision - while the ball bounced into an unguarded net. Goal! 4-0.
Consolation
Mudassir Ansari pulled one back for Bank of India right at the stroke of halftime what proved to be the fourth goal in just over ten minutes. Receiving the ball at the edge of the penalty area, the midfielder picked his spot and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner. Goal! 4-1.
On to the second half and the introduction of Pranay Daniel into the Union Bank attack almost paid instant dividends as the winger went to work on his favored right flank Within a matter of minutes, he set up fellow sub Merwyn Fernandes for the remaining two goals of the game.
Number Six
The striker displayed great composure in front of goal on both occasions to complete the tennis-style score-line. After basting home for close range for his fifth, Merwyn beat the keeper once again in the 72nd minute with a well placed finished following an impressive solo run. Goal! 6-1. Game. Set. Match. Union Bank of India.
As the referee signaled for fulltime, Union Bank had managed to get more points on their board in the last two games than their first six.
Big Movers
The win takes Union Bank up to seventh in the standings, an improvement of four places since the beginning of the day’s play. With their giant-killing of ONGC still fresh in everyone’s minds, the Reds have managed to recharge their campaign – ensuring an exciting finish to the season.
