NEROCA FC stun TRAU 3-1, move up from relegation zone

NEROCA coach Wangkhem Khogen Singhs decision to replace Kamo with Michael Kporvi in the 87th minute proved to decisive.His precise pass across the field to Fletcher caught the TRAU defence napping and hand them the lead.TRAU were still trying to salvage a point, but the counter-attack settled the result as Kporvi made it 3-1.

Jourdain Fletcher scored a brace as NEROCA FC came out of the relegation zone with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over local rivals Tiddim Road Athletic Union in an I-League match at the Khuman Lampak Stadium here on Wednesday.

Fletcher struck in the 37th and 90+1st minute, while Michael Kporvi fired in another in the dying minutes to hand NEROCA full points that took them to the 10th spot with 11 points from 12 matches.

The win also avenged the first-leg defeat to their arch-rivals who remained at third place from 12 matches. Ten minutes into the game, trying to clear a cross from the right by TRAU's Salam Johnson Singh, NEROCA captain and defence mainstay David Simbo headed it on to TRAU's lone striker Komron Tursunov, who calmly chested it down and put it into the net with his right foot.

Till the half-hour mark, TRAU kept attacking and looked like scoring at any time but coach Leimapokpam Nandakumar Singh's tactical display kept them at bay.

NEROCA came back into the match with the equaliser when Paogoumang Singson crossed from the left and Jourdain Fletcher scored a world-class goal with a side volley.

TRAU had the chance to go up once again just before the breather when they were awarded a penalty but Fernandinho's low left-footer was saved by Soram Poirei.

TRAU came close to scoring twice in the second-half but could not convert their chances. NEROCA coach Wangkhem Khogen Singh's decision to replace Kamo with Michael Kporvi in the 87th minute proved to decisive.

His precise pass across the field to Fletcher caught the TRAU defence napping and hand them the lead.

TRAU were still trying to salvage a point, but the counter-attack settled the result as Kporvi made it 3-1.

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