Namdhari hand Churchill Bros shock defeat

Margao: Churchill Brothers FC were found wanting on their return to the I-League after a 20-day break as Namdhari FC handed them a shock 1-0 defeat at the Panchayat ground in Raia on Wednesday.
Sluggish and rusty, Churchill never played like a team at the top of the table. Instead, Namdhari were methodical and stuck to a plan. Once they surged ahead with Maibam Deny’s own goal in the 45th minute, the Punjab side just absorbed the pressure to register an impressive win.
The win took Namdhari to third on the table with 11 points from seven matches. After picking up just a point from their first three games, they are now unbeaten in four games, winning three of them to move high up the ladder. Churchill continue to be on top of the table with 13 points from seven games.
The signs that something was amiss at Churchill were visible right at the start of the. The hosts started with the right intent but their game was pockmarked by mispasses. It didn’t help that captain Aubin Kouakou picked up an injury inside the first half an hour and the former champions didn’t have anyone competent enough to step into his boots.
Despite not having too much of the ball, Namdhari had the first looks at the rival goal. Goalkeeper Sayad Bin Abdul Kadir made a smart save to deny Manvir Singh and then, after a terrible mix-up at the back, the hosts were saved the blushes as Peter Haokip’s attempt sailed wide from distance.
Rama Gaonkar and Wayde Lekay did have attempts on target, though not threatening enough. The hosts were then made to pay for their lethargic game as Lamine Moro played a big in Namdhari getting the equaliser.
It came from a well-measured free-kick at the stroke of half time. As the ball fell at the feet of Moro inside the six yard area, the Ghanaian forced his way past the static defence and poked home, the ball taking a deflection off Deny to sail into the net.