Samaleswari Sporting Bounce Back with Emphatic 4-1 Victory Over Baghpat FC
Result: Samaleswari Sporting 4–1 Baghpat FC
Goals: Marat Tareck (10′), Gnohere Krizo (45+1′), Basit Ahmed Bhat (56′, 61′) for Samaleswari Sporting; Crispin C. Cleetus (30′) for Baghpat FC.
Competition: 135th IndianOil Durand Cup – Group B
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
By Suman Munshi
Chief Editor, IBG NEWS
Kolkata, July 30: Samaleswari Sporting produced a commanding performance to defeat Baghpat FC 4-1 in a Group B encounter of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday. A second-half brace from Basit Ahmed Bhat, coupled with first-half goals from Marat Tareck and Gnohere Krizo, secured the Odisha-based club’s first victory of the tournament.
After suffering a narrow defeat in their opening fixture, Samaleswari Sporting responded in impressive fashion to revive their qualification hopes. In contrast, Durand Cup debutants Baghpat FC slumped to their second consecutive defeat and now face an uphill task to remain in contention.
Both teams adopted an attacking 4-4-2 formation, making for an entertaining start to the contest. Samaleswari Sporting struck first in the 10th minute through a swift counterattack. Rashid M. sprinted down the right flank before finding Gnohere Krizo inside the penalty area. Although Krizo’s close-range effort was denied by goalkeeper Ayan Bhattacharya, the rebound fell kindly for Marat Tareck, who calmly slotted the ball into an empty net.
Baghpat FC responded positively and restored parity in the 30th minute with an outstanding individual effort. Piyush Sikarwar laid the ball into the path of Crispin C. Cleetus, who unleashed a superb left-footed strike from outside the penalty area that flew beyond goalkeeper Aaryan Anjaneya and into the top corner.
The Odisha outfit regained the advantage just before the halftime whistle. In first-half stoppage time, Basit Ahmed Bhat delivered a long free-kick into the penalty area, where the ball deflected off Gnohere Krizo before looping over the stranded goalkeeper and finding the back of the net to give Samaleswari Sporting a 2-1 lead at the interval.
The second half was dominated by Samaleswari Sporting, who controlled possession and dictated the tempo throughout. Their superiority was rewarded in the 56th minute when substitute Veer Arjun Joshi’s corner was met by Basit Ahmed Bhat, who finished confidently from close range to extend the lead.
Just five minutes later, Basit completed his brace after an intelligently worked short-corner routine. Veer Arjun Joshi combined neatly with fellow substitute Cris Nowang Sherpa before Sherpa delivered a precise cross into the box. Basit timed his run perfectly and powered a looping header past the goalkeeper to make it 4-1 and effectively end the contest.
With a comfortable three-goal cushion, Samaleswari Sporting managed the remainder of the match with composure, denying Baghpat FC any meaningful opportunities while continuing to dominate possession.
The Odisha-based side nearly added a fifth goal in the closing stages when Armand Bazie attempted a powerful long-range effort in the 90th minute, but the shot drifted narrowly wide. Samaleswari comfortably negotiated the five minutes of added time to register a convincing and thoroughly deserved victory.
Match Highlights
- Final Score: Samaleswari Sporting 4–1 Baghpat FC
- Half-time: Samaleswari Sporting 2–1 Baghpat FC
- Scorers: Marat Tareck (10′), Gnohere Krizo (45+1′), Basit Ahmed Bhat (56′, 61′); Crispin C. Cleetus (30′)
- Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
- Competition: 135th IndianOil Durand Cup – Group B
Upcoming Fixtures
Shillong Lajong FC vs Nongkseh SS&CC
Group E – 5:00 PM
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
East Bengal FC vs CISF Protectors
Group A – 7:30 PM
Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
All 43 matches of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup are being broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV.
