Things get better for Md Sp Kolkata newsline Sudeep Pakrashi Kolkata, January 21: For those who saw today's match, it wouldn't have come as a surprise if the Man-of-the-Match award had gone to Fabio Passos, had he not limped off the ground with hamstring injury in the 73rd minute. The Brazilian midfielder's unfortunate exit opened the door for Mohammedan Sporting, as the city side made the most of Salgaocar to bag full points in the National Football League (NFL) encounter this floodlit evening at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
And in an overnight turn of events that saw injured defender David Mkandwire take to the field despite being ruled only half-fit till yesterday, the Zimbabwean defender went on to pick the Man-of-the-Match title. David, who has now been advised three weeks' rest for having torn a muscle, proved his mettle, putting up a flawless performance before a 5,000-strong crowd. David, who has been struggling with the injury, will keep away from action over the next two days. Mohammedan Sporting coach Md Habib meanwhile will monitor the player's progress with the side's next NFL tie slated for January 24 against favourites Sporting Clube de Goa. For Md Sporting, who recorded their second win on the trot now, Nitin Pradhan provided the decider. The player, who returned to the thick of the action after a seven-month lay-off, punched in the winner late in the 81st minute. Pradhan found the back of the net after latching on to a first-post rebound from Jiten Rai's right-footer. The win helped Md Sporting stretch their points kitty to six, while the Goan outfit remain on four points. Salgaocar were reduced to playing with 10 men for 55 long minutes after key midfielder Micky Fernandes was given the marching orders in the 35th minute by referee PK Bose for a rough tackle on Patrick Onyelo. It was Fabio alone, however, who almost single-handedly turned the match in Salgaocar's with his all-round performance. Playing in a wide zone, Fabio supported his defenders well, sending across a number of incisive passes. Despite Fabio's good showing, Habib's boys came with a flurry of scoring opportunities in today's match - much of which can be credited to the mobility of the Md Sporting midfielders, particularly, Satyajit Bose, Bijen Singh and Mohammed Mokhtar for their pressing game. With the midfielders getting their act together, Patrick Onyelo played freely in the attacking-third. In a close call, a Bijen Singh right-footer rebounded off the crosspiece, while another one saw Bijen squander a sitter form inside the box off an excellent square pass from Patrick from the right.
