AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Striker Delbert Fernandes scored a solitary second half goal for AIFF U-19 Elite Academy to edge past Signals Goa, in their first Friendly match played at Chowghale’s Sport complex.

This was the Academy Boys’ first win of the new season in Goa.

Initially, the military outfits broke up the game with some muscular tackling, as the game struggled to explode. But they failed to mount the pressure on the AIFF colts because of the sheer quality distribution of passes and transition from the midfielders.

It was AIFF academy who made the positive opening, with Prasanth breaking forward with a lung-bursting run latching onto Bidyananda’s searching long ball to the left, made a complete hash of his shot and stabbed the ball over the post.

AIFF Academy should have been ahead in 23^rd minute when a counterattack saw the ball played into penalty area for Daniel Lalhlimpuia, but he was quickly hustled off the ball.

Continuous waves of attack left the army outfit with no option than to sit deep and soak the pressure. Meanwhile Signal’s right full back linked a brilliant combination play with the striker, sent in a low drive from 23 yards, which was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.

Buoyed by that, Signals ended the half on an optimistic note with both the teams going into the interval with no difference.

At the start of second half, AIFF Academy’s Head Coach Shabir Pasha made few immediate changes in both midfield and attack keeping the defence unchanged.

On 53^rd minute Nishu Kumar’s crafty through ball splitting the signal’s back four down the left found Moinuddin, weaving quickly into penalty area racing to the touch line deliciously cutback for Delbert Fernandes who swiftly tap the ball into the net.

A series of crosses and attacks down from both the flanks from AIFF Academy were denied by strong Army defence.

At full time whistle, the only goal scored in the second half separated both the teams.