Jamshedpur, Aug 11: Indian Army made a remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat 1 Ladakh FC 4-2 in their final Group C match of the 134th Durand Cup football tournament here on Monday.
Despite the win, Indian Army exited the tournament as they could not make it to the quarterfinals.
While the result took them to six points, their +2-goal difference meant that they failed to grab one of the two best second-placed quarterfinal spots.
The Army outfit, aware of the goal margin they needed to score, sought to impose themselves through quick interchanges in midfield, using Vignesh Velan and Christopher Kamei to probe down the flanks, while Ladakh relied on the pace of P Kamalesh and the aerial strength of Siju to threaten on the counter.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute after Ladakh caught the Army defence flat-footed with a sharp through ball. Kamalesh, timing his run perfectly, latched onto the pass and surged into the box, only to be brought down by goalkeeper Sayad Kadir in a desperate sliding challenge.
The referee wasted no time in pointing to the spot. Kamalesh, calm under pressure, sent Kadir the wrong way with a deft side-footed finish into the bottom left corner to give Ladakh 1-0 lead.
Fourteen minutes later, Vignesh showcased exquisite timing and precision. He picked up the ball in space and fired a crisp, well-placed shot that the army goalkeeper Kadir couldn’t keep out.
Indian Army made their comeback as Sama delivered a powerful header from a well-placed cross into the box. The ball was expertly delivered from the right flank by Christopher, whose pinpoint delivery cut through the Ladakh defence.
Sama timed his run perfectly, rising above his marker to connect with the cross, guiding a firm header back across goal and past the outstretched hands of the Ladakh goalkeeper Mohit Dayal to make it 2-1 and reignited Army’s belief.
In the 45th minute, Indian Army drew level with a scrappy yet decisive strike. Amid a frantic scramble inside the box, a loose ball fell invitingly at the feet of Abhishek.With defenders converging and space at a premium, he reacted swiftly, stepping into the path of the bouncing ball and managing to get his shot away in an instant.The ball deflected slightly off a defender, wrong-footing the Ladakh goalkeeper, and eventually trickled over the line.
After the break, Army continued to press with urgency and began testing Ladakh’s defensive structure, moving the ball with greater purpose and probing key areas in attack.
Their pressure paid off in the 51st minute when they earned a penalty after Abhishek Shankar was brought down inside the box while chasing a through ball.
Christopher Kamei sent the Ladakh goalkeeper the wrong way, drilling his spot-kick low into the right corner to give Army a 3-2 lead.
Ladakh barely had time to regroup before Army struck again in the 55th minute.
A sweeping move down the right saw a precise low cross fizz into the box, where Rahul Ramakrishnan arrived unmarked to head it home from close range.
The quick double not only flipped the match on its head but also crushed Ladakh’s resistance. (PTI)
