Photo courtesy: Bengaluru FC

Midfielder Beikhokhei Beingaichho scored one and assisted another as his Bengaluru FC side booked a place in the quarterfinals of the DSK Cup with a 2-1 defeat of Gangtok Himalayan SC at the DSK Dream City Football Ground, in Pune, on Monday. Needing just a point to claim top spot, the Blues went a goal down in the first half but strikes from summer signing Kim Song Yong and Beingaichho secured pole position for the Blues.

Nima Tamang gave Gangtok an early lead after his curling effort took a deflection off Bengaluru skipper Curtis Osano to find the net. It didn’t take long for the Blues to respond with Kim scoring his fourth goal of the tournament – a powerful header directed past Gangtok ’keeper Avinash Paul from a peach of a cross from Beingaichho.

There were chances at both ends as Tamang came close to scoring Gangtok’s second of the night before headers from Blues’ summer signing Alwyn George and Kim went wide of Paul’s goal to send both sides into the break with the scores tied.

It didn’t take long for the Blues to take the lead as Beingaichho got his name on the score-sheet with a long-range free-kick moments after the restart.  The midfielder almost scored Bengaluru’s third as Paul dived brilliantly to deny another free-kick ten minutes later.

Bengaluru defender Jonathan Piers was shown a red card following his infringement on the Gangtok custodian late in injury time, but it had no bearing on the result as the Blues protected their lead till the full-time whistle. The Blues will face one of Salgaocar FC and Indian Navy in the quarterfinals, to be held on Wednesday.

DSK INVITATIONAL CUP | GROUP C