Margao: Striker N D Buisi Opara netted a hat-trick as Churchill Brothers trounced Sporting Clube de Goa 5-0 to move to second place in the 12th round I-League match at the Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
Churchill who led 3-0 at half time, scored through Opara (8th, 26th, 55th) and substitute Bineesh Balan struck twice in the 39th and 78th minute respectively to complete the rout.
Following the win, Churchill are one point behind table-toppers Dempo having collected 26 points from 12 games. Clube remained on 13 points from as many matches.
Churchill, who started with Mohammed Rafi along with Opara and rested Henri Autchouet, went into the attacking mode from the start with Beto orchestrating most of the moves from behind as they put the rival defence under pressure and surged ahead in the eighth minute.
A harmless looking shot from Lalrindika Ralte from the top of the box deflected off defender Adil Khan and went to the unmarked Opara inside the box, who had the simple task of putting the ball into the net which he did by beating custodian Milagrio Medeira to his left.
The goal put the rival defence in disarray as they failed to check the opposition strikers inside the box at crucial junctures and conceded two more goals.
Substitute Balan who induced more thrust in the attack sent a high cross from the left for Rafi whose header hit the horizontal and came to an unmarked Opara who slammed the ball into the net from close in the 26th minute.
Balan made it 3-0 by slotting the ball into the net, after being left free in the box by the rival defence, off a cross from Rafi in the 39th minute.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
