Xtra Time Web Desk: Goals from Philip Adjah and Pankaj Moula helped Bhawanipore FC register their second win of I league Qualifiers as they beat Garhwal FC 2-1 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium on Wednesday.
The team from Kolkata was very much the favourites, having picked up all three points in their opening game against FC Bengaluru United, while Garhwal entered the tie on the back of two defeats without having found the back of the net.
Garhwal started brightly, playing good possession football to put Bhawanipore on the back foot. However, they were undone by a brilliant pass from the halfway line by Arijit Bagui in the eighth minute, as he played a delicate chip over the Garhwal defence. Ghanian striker Adjah, timed his run to perfection to beat the offside trap and slotted the ball past Sayak Barai, who had no chance in a two-on-one situation.
Bhawanipore doubled their advantage five minutes after the break as Raj kept his marker Neeraj Bhandari at bay and sent in an accurate cross from the left-flank for an unmarked Moula, to head powerfully past the keeper — his second goal of the tournament.
Garhwal reduced the margin in the 76th minute through Varikkodan. Rahul Das was the first to react to a poor clearance and pulled the ball back from the by-line for Varikkodan to tap in from close range.
The win sees Bhawanipore join Mohammedan Sporting on top of the table with 6 points. The two sides go up against each other in what could prove to be a pivotal encounter at the Kalyani Stadium on Friday.
With Inputs from AIFF Media