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Margao, Goa: Assured at the back, clinical up front. Bengaluru FC on Friday did their basics right to knock out Sporting Clube de Goa 3-0 in the second semifinal of the Hero Federation Cup here at the Nehru Stadium on Friday.
The Hero I-League champions will now lock horns with Dempo SC in a precursor to the Hero I-League opening match on January 17. The summit clash here is on Sunday (January 9, 2015) at 4 PM IST.
Sean Rooney gave BFC the lead in the 28th minute with India Captain Sunil Chhetri joining him on the scoresheet ten minutes later with another wonderful strike from a narrow angle. Late into the second half, Eugeneson Lyndoh added gloss to the scoreline with a cool finish.
This is BFC’s first Hero Fed Cup final in their short but eventful two-year sojourn. They crashed out of the group stages the last time in Manjeri. Along with Bengaluru, captain Sunil’s juggernaut also continued as he joined Tolgay Ozbey to the top scorers’ list on 5 goals.
Sporting on their part tried hard after the break but could find the woodwork late in the second half through Anthony Wolfe. Rino Anto also cleared off his line in the first half off a Wolfe header.
After the cagey initial exchanges, BFC took the match by the scruff of the neck. Organised at the back with the duo of Curtis Osano and John Johnson foiling almost every Sporting attack, Ashley Westwood’s wards swarmed forward after the initial check.
Beikhokhei Beingaichho – coming in place of Robin Singh – sent in a teasing cross for Sunil but Ravi Kumar was up to the task. At the other end, Rino made a goal line clearance off Wolfe’s header from a Cajetan Fernandes corner. That was that for the Flaming Oranje before their rivals surged ahead riding a flurry of attacks.
Sunil picked out Keegan with a delightful ball on the left. The left-back on the overlap slid in for Rooney inside the box with the Aussie striker having the easiest task of tapping the ball into an empty net.
The blue shirts pulled away through another superb Sunil Chhetri goal. After stitching together a string of passes, Rooney picked out Sunil on the left. The Bengaluru FC and India Captain drove into the box within seconds and scored from a tight angle beating the keeper at his near post.
Sporting tried hard to peg back after the break and their efforts had purpose too, but the finishing touches was what was needed and that they lacked. Beevan D’Mello was with all the moves but had no one to meet at the other end of his cross. Bossing possession throughout the half, last year’s finalists came close twice.
Wolfe’s freekick was first well saved by Lalthuammawia Ralte, and sometime later the Trinidad & Tobago striker hit the woodwork from 30 yards. The next minute, BFC made sure of the points.
Eugeneson collected substitute Robin Singh’s pass from the left to place the ball calmly into the back post.
FT: Bengaluru FC 3 – 0 Sporting clube de Goa (Sean Rooney – 28th, Sunil Chhetri – 38th Eugeneson Lyngdoh – 87th)
