Ogbeche takes HFC past ATK MB

Hyderabad: Mercurial Bartholomew Ogbeche showed his class scoring the match-winner in the 86th minut

Mercurial Bartholomew Ogbeche showed his class scoring the match-winner in the 86th minute to script defending champion Hyderabad FC’s hard-fought 1-0 win over ATK Mohun Bagan in the Hero ISL championship at Gachibowli Stadium here on Tuesday.

Obgeche, who came in as a substitute in the 79th minute, stunned the ATK MB defence with his artistry on top of the D-box.

Picking up a perfect cross from the left-flank, he dodged past the closely marking defender Slavko Damjanovic to essay a right-footer which caught the rival custodian off-guard and trigger celebrations in the home team camp and the sparse but noisy crowd in the 86th minute.

After struggling to find the desired rhythm in the first-half, HFC showed better coordination and created more scoring opportunities but was thwarted by the alert rival defenders till that Obgeche magic.

ATKMB had its chances to open the lead especially when Federico Revetria failed to find the target from inside the right corner of the box from a Liston Colaco cross from the left-flank in the 71st minute.

Later, a superb run down the left-flank by substitute Kiyan Giridev and one-to-one pass to the sprinting Dimitrios Petratos saw the latter’s left-footer saved by HFC custodian Gurmeet.

Earlier in the first-half, ATKMB messed up many scoring chances because of poor finishing.