XtraTime Web Desk: Despite a valiant display, Bengaluru FC went down fighting 2-3 against Turkmenistan outfit Altyn Asyr in an enthralling AFC Cup Inter-Zone semifinal on Wednesday.
The first half belonged to Asyr as they found the target twice before going into the break.
The star performer for the visitors was Vahyt Orazsakhedov who scored twice in the match. He and Altymyrat Annadurdyyev bulged the net in the 11th and 25th minute.
Vahyt scored Asyr’s third goal and his second in the 46th minute.
BFC had three chances in the first half but all went awry. First, Nishu Kumar failed to find the target in the 40th minute from the centre of the box following a corner.
In the 41st and 42nd minutes, Miku and Sunil Chhetri also missed the target.
In contrast, the second half belonged to BFC who made constant forays into the visitors’ danger zone, and got two goals.
Six minutes into the second half, the home side missed yet another chance through Xisco Hernndez, when his left-footed shot from outside the box flew high and wide to the left of the post.
Once again, Xisco missed a left-footed shot from the centre of the box after he received the ball from Rino Anto in the 54th minute.
BFC managed to get one goal through Rahul Bheke’s left-footed shot following a corner in the 63rd minute.
BFC reduced the margin in the 88th minute after Erik Paartalu’s header from the centre of the box found the target. He was assisted by Udanta Singh with a cross.
Earlier, Asyr blasted their first goal in the 11th minute through Vahyt Orazsakhedov’s header, assisted by Selim Nurmuradov.
The visitors would have scored their second goal but for the brilliant save by Gurpreet Sandhu as he collected the ball off Furkat Tursunov’s left-footed shot from the centre of the box in the 24th minute.
However, Gurpreet could not save Vahyt-assisted Altymyrat Annadurdyyev right-footed shot from the left side of the box in the next minute.
In the 46th minute, Asyr got their third goal through Vahyt’s left-footed shot from the left side of the box, assisted by Altymyrat Annadurdyyev.