Johnson FC champs
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Johnson FC held their nerve when it mattered the most to defeat Hyderabad Sporting 3-1 in a penalty shootout to clinch the Peter Thangaraj Memorial football tournament title at the Gymkhana Grounds, Secunderabad.
Johnson started the proceedings on an attacking note, moving the ball well in the midfield. Sporting, with their fast-paced game, too threatened to score, thus making way for an open game. But despite the attacking strategy adopted by both the sides, the deadlock was not broken by regulation time, ensuring a shootout to decide the tie.
For Johnson, Louise, Teja and Srikanth scored from the spot-kick while only Zubair converted for Sporting. Earlier in the semifinals, Johnson defeated Onslaught FC 2-0. Onslaught came into the semifinal with the reputation of scoring goals at will. With a team comprising college students from the City, they also looked physically more imposing than the youngsters of Johnson FC.
But physical strength alone cannot win you games, at least not in football. And Onslaught were given a bitter reminder of this by Johnson FC. It took little time for Johnson to take control of the match. Their forwards, especially Anuj, proved too hot to handle for the Onslaught backline. The threat at goal was constant with Johnson forwards passing the ball with supreme confidence. Anuj came close to opening the scoring within 15 minutes of the match, with a venomous left-footed strike, only for the ball to curl away from the goal.
He once again had a go at the goal, but this time his shot went straight to the Onslaught FC custodian. Onslaught tried to break Johnson’s rhythm with some long throw-ins, but their forwards were too slow to pose any threat for Johnson. However, despite the dominance, Johnson could not find the opener in the first-half, courtesy some last minute clearance by the Onslaught defenders.
But the goal came soon after the resumption of the match, post the half-time break. Bharath’s well-floated free-kick was superbly converted by Teja. Though Onslaught tried to restore parity by bringing in some fresh legs, Johnson’s Bhaskhar put the match beyond contention in the dying minutes of the tie. In the other semi, Sporting defeated fellow Old City side Red Hills by a solitary goal. For Sporting, Zubair scored from a powerful shot.
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