Prolific striker Neil Gaikwad and Rugued Yeole, both scored hat-tricks each as Air India soared to an emphatic 9-1 win over G.M. Sports in an Elite Division match of the MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) League 2015-2016, and played at the Cooperage football ground on Monday. The others who contributed towards Air India’s big win was Reed Santos, Merwin Stephen and Santosh Koli, while Steve N’Cho pulled one back for the losing side.
The Air India forwards and midfielders displayed great understanding and with some neat passing bouts tore open the rival defence to create goal-scoring opportunities to run away with the match.
The airmen asserted their dominance when seasoned Gaikwad opened the scoring in the very fifth minute and two minutes later their new recruit Reed Santos doubled lead before Merwin Stephen netted the third goal in the 12th minute. Later, Air India got the fourth goal when Yeole netted the first of his three goals in the 23rd minute. Then Gaikwad struck his second and the team’s fifth goal in the 31st minute before Yeole added two more in the 36th and 45th minute to complete his hat-trick as Air India went into the break with a healthy 7-0 advantage.
After changing ends, Air India continued to hold sway but relaxed the pace and scored two more goals through Gaikwad (60th) and Santosh Koli in the 78th minute. G.M. Sports managed to get a consolation goal through Steve N’Cho in the 61st minute.
The next Elite Division match will be played between Kenkre FC and Karnatak SA on Wednesday, October 21 at 3.00 pm.
Results – Elite Div: Air India 9 (Neil Gaikwad 5th, 31st, 60th, Reed Santos 7th, Merwin Stephen 12th, Rugued Yeole 23rd, 36th, 45th, Santosh Koli 78th) beat G.M. Sports 1 (Steve N’Cho 61st).