Srinagar, April 25: In the ongoing first Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Memorial (MMSM) Football tournament, J&K Bank XI defeated Accountant General’s (AG’s) XI by a solitary goal in a match played at Synthetic Turf, TRC Ground in Srinagar on Tuesday (April 24).

The only mach of the day, started at 4 pm and a large number of football fans had gathered at the venue to support their favourite teams. The match turned out to be a classic as both the teams displayed the skills and cool temperament throughout the 90-minutes of the play.

In the first half, both teams attacked each others’ goalpost frequently, but the defence lines withheld the pressure and didn’t allow any goals to be scored. The goalkeepers of the two teams made some excellent saves drawing huge cheers from the spectators.

The second half also proved to be mouth watering as no team was ready to give even an inch. Attacks and counter attacks was the hallmark of the match. In 47th minute of the play, Aakif Reshi scored all important goal for Bank team. Immediately, the AG’s XI players launched several counter attacks, but the goalkeeper of the Bank team ensured no damage was done.

In the last 10 minutes of the play, both teams made several attempt to score but couldn’t cross the last hurdle. While AG’s XI players were desperate to score an equaliser, the Bank players were focussed on maintaining the lead. When the referee blew the final whistle, the score line read 1-0 in favour of the Bank. Ujawar Nabi of AG’s XI from was declared as player of the match despite his team losing. He was awarded Rs 1000 and a memento.

Meanwhile, in Jammu region the matches of the event are going on in full swing at different venues. In a B-Division match, Jammu Sports defeated Real Jammu by two goals to nil. The match was played at GGM Science College, Ground in Jammu. Hundreds of spectators witnessed the match. In another match, Kargil United FC thrashed Churchill Bros by four goals to nil in a one-sided affair. Mohammad Musa scored two goals for the winning team while Jaffar Khan and Mohammad Sikandar scored one goal each.

While in Kashmir region, first and the second leg of the event, being organised by the JK Football Association (JKFA) under the auspices of State Sports Council and on the directions of All India Football Federation (AIFF), have been completed, the first phase matches are underway in Jammu.

The aim of the tournament is to unearth the hidden talent in all corners of the state including remote areas.