Dudu takes Sporting Clube into final

A fine brace by Dudu MacPherlin Omagbemi, in the space of two minutes, helped Sporting Club de Goa crush Assam Rifles, Shillong, 3-0 and enter the final of the Durand Cup football tournament at Ambedkar stadium in Delhi on Wednesday.

Bibiano Fernandes accounted for the other goal.

The Shillong side, which had entered the semi-finals beating Mahindra United and drawing with Mohammedan Sporting, were comprehensively outplayed in all departments of the game.

Assam Rifles suffered a major blow only 15 minutes into the match when their main striker T Akum Ao, who had scored both the goals in the victory over Mahindra United, pulled a hamstring. His absence was crucial, as the team, comprising mainly youngsters from north-eastern states, lacked teeth in attack and failed to put the opposition defence under any pressure.

Sporting went ahead in the 33rd minute following a Welton Gomes cross into the box. Dudu headed the ball to Bibiano, who tucked a low header into the net.

Despite dominating right through, the Goa team failed to add another goal till two minutes from the end when Dudu struck twice in the space of two minutes from counter attacks.

A Chidi pass from the centre in the 89th minute was collected by Dudu, who ran a few yards, dodged past a defender, dribbled past the onrushing goalkeeper with his left foot and slotted the ball home into an empty net.

A minute later, another clearance from the Goan defence caught the demoralised Rifles defence napping and Dudu pounced on the ball, ran through the rival defence and placed it to the left of the advancing goalkeeper into the net.

JCT, Phagwara, and Army XI, Bangalore, meet in the secod semi-final on Thursday.