ITBP FT beats ten-men Karbi Anglong in Durand Cup debut

Indo Tibetan Border Police FT defeated ten-men Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC 2-1 in their Durand Cup debut, with goals from Pulung Daimary and Hemraj Bhujel sealing the comeback win

Hyderabad: Durand Cup debutants Indo Tibetan Border Police FT edged past ten-men Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC 2-1 in the Group D opener of the 134th Indian Oil Durand Cup, which was played here at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar on Sunday.

Lunminlen Haokip gave the lead to Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC, but goals from Pulung Daimary and Hemraj Bhujel gave the paramilitary side the victory and three crucial points.

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Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC (KAMSFC) head coach C A Laldinsang Pudaite named a strong line-up, which included three foreigners: Joseph Olaleye, Victor Jackson and Ben Nash Quansh. ITBP FT head coach Surojit Kumar named a strong line-up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Both debutant teams were trying to take control of the midfield, which made for an intriguing battle with both sides cancelling each other out in the centre of the field. KAMSFC, who play in I-League 3, were reduced to ten men in just the 23rd minute when Ghanaian centre-back Ben Nash Quansh received a direct red card for a reckless two-footed challenge. The referee had no choice but to send off the defender.

ITBP took control of possession using the man advantage, but it was the side from Assam who drew first blood. Lunminlen Haokip neatly finished a counter-attacking move to give his side the lead in the 30th minute. The striker could have doubled the lead minutes later when he pounced on a mistake by the ITBP goalkeeper Ugesh Lama. The goalkeeper could not gather a cross cleanly and Lunminlen, who was lurking around, pounced but could not put the finishing touches.

ITBP equalised in the final minute of first-half regulation time through Pulung Daimary, whose neat side-footed finish found the bottom right corner after taking a deflection off the defender.

ITBP scored the second goal in the 60th minute with a neat team move. Srikumar Karjee received a long diagonal pass on the right wing and the winger fended off two defenders and drilled a low cross into the box, which was expertly finished by Hemraj Bhujel past the diving goalkeeper Gojen Hanse.