A 36th minute penalty goal by Joshua Walker carried Bengaluru FC to their second win in three matches in the AFC Cup football tournament here Tuesday as they defeated Singapore's Warriors FC 1-0.
Warriors were not too pleased with the penalty decision. C.K. Vineeth, chasing a through ball, was challenged by defender Daniel Bennett and hit the turf. Walker calmly placed the ball into the back of the net.
Bengaluru FC, without several key players like skipper Sunil Chhetri, Robin Singh, Keegan Pereira and Eugeneson Lyngdoh, all on National duty, still carried sufficient firepower to subdue the visitors for whom the defeat meant a long stay in the cellars.
The Warriors, winners of the Singapore Cup in 2012, but who had lost both their previous two AFC Cup outings, tried hard to keep pace with the hosts. However, their best was not enough against the determined Blues who were keen to get back on track after suffering 3-1 away defeat to Indonesia's Persipura Jayapura in their previous outing.
The Blues defence, spearheaded by John Johnson and Curtis Osano, did a fine job to keep the rival forwards on a short leash.
The visiting team's midfielder Miroslav Pejic, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions, and Argentine striker Nicolas Velez with a tally of 21 goals in 26 appearances last season, were closely policed to be rendered ineffective.
Considering that the Blues were at less than full strength, the win, albeit slender, certainly spoke well of the team's bench strength and character.
