A fine hat-trick by Yusif Yakubu enabled Churchill Brothers score a 3-1 victory over Sporting Clube de Goa [Images] in a National Football League match in Margao, Goa, on Wednesday.

Sporting forged ahead in the 25th minute. Winger Anthony Levino Pereira overlapped on the right and sent a diagonal cross inside the six yards box to Edeh Chidi, who headed home.

Churchill restored parity from a penalty in the 34th minute. Sujoy Dutta accepted a pass inside the box and took shot, which hit defender Vincent Pires on the hand. Referee S Sarcar awarded a penalty, which Yakubu converted with a low drive.

Yakubu put Churchill in the lead soon after the interval when he headed home a well-directed centre by Roque Baretto. The ball hit the post before finding the net.

Going all out to find the equaliser, Sporting were largely denied by rival 'keeper Mark Mascarenhas, who came in place of an injured Vinay Singh in the first half. Mascarenhas made some brilliant saves to deny Dudu Omagbemi, Joseph Pereira and Biabano Fernandes.

Yakubu then completed his hat-trick, the third in the tournament, when he essayed a fierce shot off Ratan Singh's pass to give Churchill their second victory in the tournament.

Churchill moved to tenth place with 10 points from 11 matches. Sporting suffered their third defeat and remain in seventh place with 14 points from 9 matches.