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The tall and burly footballer Robin Singh has made a habit of scoring important goals in domestic matches. On Thursday, Singh replicated some of that form on the international stage, in driving rain. A sublime finish in the 10th minute helped India beat Guam in the sixth match of their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.

This was India’s first win after suffering five consecutive losses.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, India’s star goal-keeper was the architect of the move, kicking a long ball deep into Guam territory. Sunil Chhetri, the captain, doggedly ran at the ball, somehow prevented it from going beyond the goal-line and expertly passed it back to the incoming Robin Singh.

Singh tracked back, neatly held off a Guam defender and, spotting another one converging on him, turned and unleashed a curler from just inside the box. The ball whizzed past the Guam keeper’s outstretched hands, smashing into the top corner.

It was, in many ways, the perfect gift for the thousands of fans who had loyally kept on supporting the team despite numerous setbacks. The atmosphere before the kick-off was frenzied with a giant banner being unveiled, proclaiming the fans’ support for the India team. Thankfully, they finally had something to celebrate after the match as well.