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The Army Red football team registered a comfortable 4-1 victory over the Assam Rifles in the Durand Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Thursday. The Reds go top of Group D while the CAPF side are bottom of the table.
Liton Shil, Bikash Thapa, Sushil Shah and Nongmeikapam Suresh Meitei scored for Army Red while Samujal Rabha scored the solitary goal for the Assam Rifles.
Assam Rifles managed to hold Army Red to 1-1 in the first half in the Durand Cup
The Army Reds came into the game as firm favorites due to their experience of having previously played in the Durand Cup.
The Reds started dictating the terms of the game and found an opening to score the first goal of the game in the 39th minute. Jain P delivered a low cross in from the left to find Liton Shil, who smashed the bobbling ball into the back of the net from point-blank range to make it 1-0 for Army Red.
However, the 1-0 lead did not last for long as Army Red captain Nongmeikapam Suresh Meitei made a mistake at the back with a lop-sided header. This allowed Samujal Rabha to get the ball in no man's land and score the equalizer in the 41st minute with a chipped ball over Bhabhindra Thakuri in goal.
Both teams had chances to score more goals but went into the break with 1-1 on the scoreboard.
Army Red score three goals in the second-half in the Durand Cup
Army Red continued to dominate the proceedings in the second-half with a number of openings. Bikash Thapa scored the second goal for Army Red in the 54th minute with a clean strike from inside the Assam Rifles box.
Zothanpuia put the initial ball inside the box from an overlap to find substitute Sourav P who set up Thapa for the strike.
The Reds made it 3-1 when Sushil Shah was brought in inside the Assam Rifles box and Anustup Sarkar's side got a spot-kick. Sushil Shah stepped up for the penalty kick and slotted it home past a hapless Pebam Singh at goal in the 74th minute.
The Assam-based CAPF side's problems worsened when Devender Singh was sent off in the 79th minute. The resultant red card allowed Army Red to get a free-kick outside the Rifles box.
Nongmeikapam Suresh Meitei found the back of the net from the set-piece with a sublime finish to make it 4-1 for Army Red in the 80th minute.
Army Red will now face Durand Cup defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC on September 12th at the Kalyani Stadium while the Assam Rifles travel to the Mohun Bagan Ground to host ISL side Hyderabad FC on the same day.
