Manish, Vinith Score A Brace Each As Blues Dismantle Hyderabadi Side In Penultimate Group B Encounter

Govardhan Gowda’s Bengaluru FC side ran out 9-2 winners over Speed Force FC in their penultimate Group B game of the Hero Futsal Club Championship, at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, in New Delhi, on Sunday. Manish Chaudhary and Vinith Venkatesh scored two goals each as seven Bengaluru players found their name on the scoresheet, in a result that helped maintain their perfect record at the competition.

The Blues began where they left off against Sporting Clube de Goa, and took just nine minutes to break the deadlock when Macarton played a give-and-go with Lalremtluanga Fanai before slotting home from close range. Before Speed Force could regroup, Bengaluru had the ball in the back of the net through Manish Chaudhary, who drove the ball into the back of the net after latching onto a through ball.

Govardhan Gowda’s side saw out the remainder of the first half, keeping possession and running the clock down, while pushing forward on occasion in search of a third. Shots from Bekey and Macarton were saved by Ibadullah Khan in the Speed Force goal, as the sides made it to the interval with Bengaluru holding a 2-0 advantage.

Speed Force FC pulled one back within a minute of the restart when skipper Zubair Bin Sultan finished from close range, but the Bengaluru response was instant as Manish turned provider. Darting down the left, his cross was nodded home from point blank range by Vinith Venkatesh less than sixty seconds later to make it 3-1 to the Blues.

Close to the half hour mark, Speed Force found the net once again as Jawaad’s attempted pass into the box was turned home by Blues’ custodian Manik Baliyan. The Blues pushed forward in their attempt to restore the two-goal cushion but attempts from Edwin Rossario, Bekey Oram and Fanai were pushed away by a stubborn Ibadullah.

The Blues would six times in quick succession and to no response in the next ten minutes, first through Vinith Venkatesh, who exchanged passes with Bekey before scoring into an empty net. Soon after, Bekey turned goalscorer when he drove his effort past Ibadullah from just outside the area. Bengaluru kept the pressure up and scored once again, as Omega slotted home after quick passes out of the back from Robin and Manish.

Bengaluru refused to relent, and added two more as Fanai managed to get to the end of a rebound from Robin Yadav’s shot to make it 7-2. Speed Force had two efforts from the spot to find the net but efforts from Shubham Dayma and Zubair were off the mark before Robin slotted home a neat bit of interplay between him and Bekey. In the final minute, Manish scored his second on the night as his shot bounced off Ibrahim Ali and over Ibadullah for the Blues’ ninth.

Bengaluru face Kuppuraj FC in their final Group B fixture of the Hero Futsal Club Championship, at the same venue, at 5 pm on Tuesday, needing just a point to advance to the semifinal of the inaugural edition of the Hero Futsal Club Championship.