Income Tax holds Hindustan Eagles in the CFA Senior Division League

The Eagles started off on a positive note with left-winger Rajaganapathy making probing runs in the left flank of the Income Tax half. After attacking for the major part of the first phase of the match, Hindustan broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when Cletus converted. Rajaganapathy had put the ball into the 18-yardbox where Cletus got the better of four defenders and then slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. 

Income Tax goalkeeper Revanth made a wonderful reflex save off a bullet shot from foreign import Okarogar from near the 6-yard-box. Had he not saved it, the Eagles would have had a comfortable cushion inside the first 30 minutes.

Income Tax couldn’t make any attacking runs in the final third. In a bid to equalise, the taxmen went for long-range attempts, which hardly tested Eagles custodian Jayanth Kumar. The pace of the game started to slow down in final minutes of the first half as the players found it difficult to keep up with the searing heat. 

Despite dominating the first half, Eagles only had a one-goal lead going into the break. It began the final 45 minutes on a high, attacking from both flanks through Rajaganapathy and Okarogar. Its poor finishing and the off-side trap played by the Income Tax defenders meant the scoreline remained the same. 

Income Tax equalised against the run of play in the 69th minute with Bebitto finishing a neat cross from the right side. Despite creating numerous efforts in the final third, Eagles failed to test the Income Tax goalkeeper after that. Both teams settled for a point.

In spite of many stoppages and a water break during the half-way mark, only five minutes we added at the end of the second half, which lead to a few Hindustan players altercating with the referee. 

A play-off match will decide the title in the CFA Senior Division League in case second-placed Hindustan Eagles manages to beat leader Indian Bank in its final league encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on April 27. 

Members of the organising committee confirmed that the title-winner will not be decided either by goal difference or by head-to-head. Income Tax is currently on top of the table with 26 points, with eight wins and two draws. It has remained unbeaten in the competition thus far. The Eagles is placed just behind Indian Bank in the second position with 23 points, which includes seven wins, two draws and one loss.

A victory for Eagles in its match against Indian Bank will propel it to 26 points on the board, equalling the latter’s tally. While a draw will lead the bank men to the title. Eagles will now have to beat Indian Bank twice if it is to bag the trophy at the end of the season.

Hindustan Eagles, which played out a stalemate with Income Tax on Sunday, kept its slim chances alive despite not being at its best. It will be tough for it to stop a rampant Indian Bank attack, which is fresh from a 7-0 win against Arrows FC on Saturday.