Haywards too good for JCT

Haywards 2000 emerged easy winners in their second round National Football League match, whipping former champions JCT 4-1 in Margao, Goa, on Friday.

Abdullateef Seriki exploited the chinks in the rival defence to score twice and lead the Goa team to a handsome victory at the Nehru stadium.

Haywards dominated the proceeding right through the 90-minute period and led 3-1 at half-time with goals from Dudu Omagbemi (16th minute) and Seriki (28th and 42nd). Avinash Thapa increased the tally in the 67th minute.

JCT, who failed to combine as a team, got their only goal through international I M Vijayan in the 18th minute.

Haywards, who drew against Vasco in their first match, have four points from two matches while JCT, who beat Indian Bank have in their opener, three points.

Haywards were well-served by their medios, Jerose Oliveira and Bibiano Fernandes, who constantly fed their strikers, Seriki and Omagbemi, with fine passes upfront.

Omagbemi, who was a thorn in the JCT defence right through, put Haywards ahead in the 16th minute when he headed home a cross from Serik, on the right wing.

Two minutes latter, JCT found the equaliser through a defensive lapse as the Haywards defenders anticipated the referee to pull up Stephen Abarowei for off-side. But the latter ran through on a pass from Ram Pal and squared the ball into the box. Jerose Oliveira tried to clear the ball to safety but only managed to tap it in the path of Vijayan, who slotted into goal.

Haywards regained the lead in the 28th minute when Seriki headed into the net a free-kick by Avinash Thapa from the right.

Bibiano could have scored soon after but he wasted a gilt edge chance, shooting out following a pass from Omagbemi.

With three minutes left for the half-time, the Goa team increased the lead through Seriki, whose glancing header from an acute angle, following a floater by Francis Andrade, beat keeper Mansuru Mohammed all ends up.

After the change of ends, Haywards continued to enjoy the edge over their rivals and scored their fourth goal in the 67th minute when Thapa guided the ball into the goal off a pass from Bibiano.