KOLKATA
Former champion Churchill Brothers produced a hard-fought 2-1 win over Rajasthan United FC to start the championship leg of the I-League on a promising note at the Naihati Stadium on Tuesday.
Komron Tursunov gave Churchill the lead midway through the opening half by finishing a fine counter-attack. Rajasthan United defender Tarif Akhand miscued an attempted clearance into his own goal to help Churchill double the lead in the injury-time of the first half and record its fifth straight win of the tournament.
N. Pritam Singh pulled one back for Rajasthan United late in the second half but Churchill managed to preserve the slender lead despite being reduced to 10 men in injury-time of the second-half. Substitute Quan Gomes was marched off following a second booking.
Later, NEROCA FC and Sreenidi Deccan FC played out a drab goalless draw at the Kalyani Stadium.
The result saw Sreenidi Deccan tallying 23 points from 14 matches to remain fourth while NEROCA continued at seventh with 19 points. Churchill (23 points from 13) and Rajasthan United FC (19 from 14) took the fifth and sixth spots respectively.
The results: At Naihati: Churchill Brothers 2 (Komron Tursunov 23, Tarif Akhand 45+3-og) bt Rajasthan United FC 1 (N. Pritam Singh 68).
At Kalyani: Sreenidi Deccan FC 0 drew with NEROCA FC 0.
