Odhisa FC storm into quarters of 131st Indian Oil Durand Cup

OUR SPORTS REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Odhisa FC (OFC) became the second team to make it to the quarter-finals of the 131st Indian Oil Durand Cup, after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sudeva Delhi FC in a Group D encounter at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium here today. Spaniard Saul Crespo scored a brace while Jerry got the third to hand the Juggernauts a third successive win in the tournament. All the goals came in the first half.

Both Saul and Jerry have also scored three times now for Josep Gombau's side that have scored 11 goals without return in their three group games so far. The side will take on Army Green in their final group game.

For Sudeva perhaps it was a gulf too big to bridge at this stage of the tournament and despite a spirited performance, especially in the first 30 minutes, they ended up the second-best side on the day by a distance and could not avoid a first loss in this year's tournament. They can still go through however if they win big against North East United in their last group game of the fixture.

The opening for OFC came in the 19th minute when off a Sahil Panwar corner, Crespo rose to head in despite having markers on the job. OFC had begun to take control.

In the 39th minute, a delightful ball from Raynier Fernandes found Crespo again, but this time he had more to do. He took a few steps forward to shrug off his marker, bent his knees slightly to attack the header low and deflected it from the near post, across the keeper into the far post. It was finishing of the highest quality.

A minute later Nandha Kumar Sekar struck from distance and given that the shot went through a maze of feet, perhaps unsighted Sudeva keeper Kabir Kohli who reacted a tad late to block the shot. The rebound however fell too kindly for Jerry, to miss getting his third of the tournament.

Job done, OFC did sit back a little in the second half and that meant that Sudeva kept trying and perhaps also ended the better of the two sides in the second 45. However, OFC were well in control of the game and closed out for a third successive clean-sheet as well.

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