http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/international-sport/156302-qatar-rally-to-down-india.html
Qatar rally to down India Monday, 20 June 2011 By Armstrong Vas Doha: Hosts Qatar survived a few anxious moments but rallied to register a 3-1 win over a fighting India in the second round qualifying match of the 2012 London Olympics at Al Sadd Stadium here yesterday. The 2022 World Cup hosts conceded a fifth-minute goal but bounced back to score three. The action now shifts to Pune on June 23 where the two teams play the return leg. India struck early in the very fifth minute through ace striker Jeje Lalpekhlua. Qatar equalised in the 14th minute through Hamad Al Khalfan. The hosts took the lead through captain Hassan Al Haydos who struck in the 54th minute. Qatar completed the tally thorough substitute Elneel who found the net in the 69th minute. India hardly took time to settle down. The boys in blue struck through a dead-ball situation. Captain Raju Gaikwad, who has earned a reputation for long throws back home in the Indian I-League showed his utility level yet again. The Qataris had a measure of things to come from Gaikwad in the very fourth minute when his long throw created goal-mouth confusion but the hosts averted the danger. A minute later, Lalpekhlua ensured Gaikwad’s long throw-in didn’t go in vain. Lalpekhlua, who emerged as the highest goal scorer among the Indians in the I-league with 13 goals, controlled the long thrown-in and in a swift turn around essayed a snap shot which came off a defender. The Indian striker, however, was quick to latch on to the loose ball, guiding the ball past the Qatari keeper, much to the roar of the Indian supporters. Qatar recovered from the early jolt to force a spot kick in the ninth minute. UAE referee Mohamed Abdelkarim Mohamed Alzarooni pointed to the penalty spot when Abdelaziz Hatim was brought down inside the box. Qatari captain Al Haydos, who took the kick, couldn’t get past the defence of the Indian keeper Laxmikanth Kattimani. Kattimani, who plays for Dempo Sports Club in the I-league dived to his right to block Al Haydos kick. Five minutes later he couldn’t stop Al Khalfan from scoring Qatar’s first goal. The Qatari striker took full toll of the defence misunderstanding between the defenders and Kattimani. Al Khalfan who found himself free, side-stepped the advancing keeper to gently roll the ball into an unguarded goal. The Indians, who relied on the counter-attacks to break into the Qatar defence came close to scoring in the 29th minute but Lalpekhlua who was put through by Lalrindika Ralte was disposed in nick of time by the Qatari defence. The Qatari fans survived a few anxious with seven minutes to go for the final whistle as goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb held on to the ball as if he was holding to dear life. Sheeb, in the process of collecting a long throw-in from Gaikwad lost his balance and landed into the goal, but the goalkeeper ensured that the ball did not cross the goal-line while his lower part of the body crossed the goal-line. Qatar were a transformed side in the second half. A pep talk by Simondi Bernard, the French coach seemed to have an effect. Nine minutes into the second half, Qatar took the lead. Qatari captain Al Haydos who went unchallenged into the Indian area took full advantage of the situation to essay a 30-yard drive which went past a diving Kattimani. Goaded by the lead, Qatar pressed for more goals and Abdulassis Al Ansari’s long-ranger was saved by the Indian keeper. Qatar consolidated the lead through substitute Mohamed Salah Elneel. Elneel, who came in for Al Khalfan, slotted home the loose ball which Al Ansari rolled for him. Elneel placed the ball past Kattimani with no Indian defender in sight to challenge him. Thereafter, Indian goal survived two close shaves. One effort each of Al Ansari and Elneel came off the crossbar. At the other end, Qatar goalkeeper too was stretched to his limit twice, first when he plucked Jewel Raja Shaikh’s free kick from nowhere and on the second occasion he blocked an Arnab Kumar Mandal header. THE PENINSULA