Although it came late with goals by strikers substitute Naushad (72nd minute) and Nitin Pradhan (81st), the result accurately defined where superiority lay. Mahindras coach SS Hakim, for one, had no doubt.

``We played badly and deserved to lose,'' Hakim, coping with a side depleted by injury, lamented while praising his sprightly rivals.

CV Paul, FC Kochin manager, speaking in the absence of coach Sreedarhan, who escorted injured skipper K Danesh to hospital, lauded a triumph of a total Indian side that his club fielded today.

Paul also praised his young side for achieving a win away from home as Kochin count seven from four matches in Group B. Mahindras's despondency can be understood. Coach Hakim, reflecting on just three from four matches, said the Mumbai side's first objective now is to avoid relegation.

Hakimalso admitted to two mistakes. One of bringing in a slow Naushad Moosa in place of injured mid-fielder Satish Minz in the second half. The other was his side's failure to play to the wings in the first half as they tired with the wind against them.

Moosa cut a sorry figure at right-wing back in the wake of a rampaging Roque Baretto in Kochin's ranks. And as the Mumbai outfit suffered another setback with the injury to outstanding medio Andrew Louis, disaster beckoned.

Mahindras, missing star striker Manjeet Singh and skipper and stopper Sushanta Mazumdar, grimaced for an uphill task against their young, but illustrious rivals comprising eight junior India players.

With almost three-quarters of the match gone by, the Mumbai outfit surrendered the advantage with slack defending -- at the centre of which was a blunder by goalkeeper Manoj Jaggi.

A free-kick by Mir Farouq Haider floated to an unmarked Naushad who punished Jaggi's unwaranted charge with a header that found the net.

Baretto then leavingMoosa for dead with another blistering run, crossed to Pradhan, unmarked and ready in the area. A fine volley high into the net and Mahindras' heads had dropped again.

The goals and defeat were not the only pains Mahindras endure. Ramesh Razak, their regular stopper, collected a second yellow for rough play and will miss the next match against East Bengal on Wednesday.

FC Kochin's captain and wing-back Danesh who sprained a ligament will be out of action for a week.

Churchill 1 JCT 1

MARGAO: Churchill Brothers came back from behind to hold JCT to a 1-1 draw in the group `A' of the third edition of the Coca Cola National Football League at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, here today.

The match rose to great heights in the second half after a barren first half with lot of goal-bound moves.

Churchill, who had more of the exchanges in both the sessions, have themselves to blame for the draw as their forwards missed gilt-edge chances in both the sessions.

After the first half, JCT drew the first bloodin 50th minute when Jasbir Singh from the right send a cross deep into the box. Goalkeeper Edward Ansah moved up to foil the cross but failed to intercept the move. Ram Pal headed the ball to Hardip Gill who made no mistake in slotting the ball home.

Undaunted by the reverse, Churchill regrouped and applied relentless pressure into the rival half and after missing two close chances found the equaliser in 81st minute.

Ansah moved up and sent a long lob into the box for Philip Mensah who headed the ball after it bounced. Keeper Virender Singh got his hands to the ball but failed to hold and Somatai Saiza slotted home from close range.

East Bengal 2 Indian Bank 0

CHENNAI: Raman Vijayan did not do anything out of the ordinary today. But what mattered was the end product. He was in the right place at the right time to profitably make use of his left foot to settle the issue in favour of his present club East Bengal against his former club Indian Bank in the Coca Cola NFL Championship match at theNehru Stadium on Saturday.

East Bengal called all the shots and looked content with the solitary goal before the contest came alive late in the match from a Sabir Pasha strike. Vijayan ensured that it was his day slotting in the winner nine minutes from time.