After the premature exit of national champions Dempo SC from the 120th Osian’s Durand Cup on Saturday, today it was the turn of NFL runners-up JCT FC. The Ludhiana outfit were knocked out of the country’s oldest football meet by Salgaocar SC in the last quarter final at Dr Ambedkar Stadium, losing 1-2.

On the other hand, Mahindra United scraped through to the semi-finals after dumping Sporting Clube de Goa 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out. Mahindras will now face Salgoacar in the semis tomorrow. In the second semi-final, also on Monday, Churchill Brothers will take on Air India.

Sporting Clube de Goa and Mahindra United offered a drab encounter, with neither side showing any inclination go for goal. Most of the first half was confined to the midfield, as the two sides remained content holding on.

Olushola Ogundare of Sporting Clube came close in the 21st minute but failed to head the ball home with only Mahindra custodian Sandeep Nandi to beat. Minutes later, Yakubu Yusif returned the favour as he miscued one free hit at the post from 17 yards, hitting it straight to Sporting Clube custodian Luis Xavier Barretto. The game continued to drag in the second half.

The momentum of the game increased during extra-time, but as it stretched, the memories of the Federation Cup quarter final started haunting Sporting Clube de Goa, where the Goans had gone down to Mahindras in the shoot-out after dominating the match. The Goans went all out in search of that winner but their worst fears came true when the match stretched to spot kicks. Mahindras brought in their Federation Cup hero Subhasish Roy Chaudhary in place of their skipper Sandeep Nandi. Chaudhary had bailed them out twice in a similar situation at the Federation Cup in Ludhiana in September.

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