Samaleswari sporting

Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan: Basit Ahmed Bhat's quickfire second-half brace, coupled with first-half strikes from Marat Tareck and Gnohere Krizo, guided Samaleswari Sporting to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Baghpat FC in a Group B fixture of the 135th Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday.

Basit Ahmed Bhat netted twice after the break, while Marat Tareck and Gnohere Krizo were also on target for the Odisha-based outfit. Crispin Cleetus scored the lone goal for Baghpat FC.

Having suffered a narrow defeat in their opening fixture, Samaleswari Sporting bounced back impressively to register their maiden win of the campaign and keep their qualification hopes alive. The defeat, meanwhile, condemned Durand Cup debutants Baghpat FC to their second consecutive loss of the tournament.