Yusif Yakubu's double strike in the second-half helped IFA shield runners-up Churchill Brothers to score a convincing 2-0 victory over Vasco in the OIL-PSU National Football League, at the Nehru stadium, in Margao, Goa, on Sunday.
Churchill, who failed to impress in their previous match against Tollygunge, played with more determination and dictated terms throughout the match with their mid-field holding the reigns.
Medio Aqueel Ansari and Roque Barreto combined well on the right and posed a constant threat to the rival defence but their forwards failed to capitalise on the chances that came their way in the barren first-half.
Man-of-the-match Yakubu, who hails from Ghana, missed two chances in the first session, but made up for the lapses by scoring in the 54th minute, after cashing in on a through pass from Barreto, with a deft placement to the far corner of the net.
Ten minutes later, Yakubu increased the lead. Substitute Mir Farooq Hyder sent a lob into the box and Yakubu despatched it home.
Vasco failed to function as a team with their midfield proving totally ineffective. Even their defence fumbled under pressure, especially in the dying minutes.