KALYANI: A wasteful Mohammedan Sporting Club went down 0-1 to East Bengal in their penultimate game of the Calcutta Football League on Thursday at Kalyani Stadium.
In a evenly matched Kolkata Derby, Do Dong Hyun’s goal from the spot in the 73rd minute did not only separated both teams but also ensured East Bengal’s seventh successive Calcutta Football League title after Mohun Bagan lost 0-1 to Tollygunge Agragami in a different fixture at Mohun Bagan Ground.
Going into the match Mohammedan SC coach Mridul Banerjee made three changes to the team that drew against United SC last week. While James Kithan replaced Sayan Roy under the bar, Atinder Mani and Pranit Lama Tamang came at the expenses of Mohammad Saukat and Kamran Farooque.
It was East Bengal who began the game aggressively and pushed up from the very beginning. Lalrindika Ralte was the first to go close when his effort narrowly missed the target in the 9th minute.
After soaking some pressure, Mohammedan SC began making inroads in the rival defense while Mohammedan SC push forward close chances fell for Leonce Dodoz, Manvir Singh and Dipankar Das but it was the lack of finishing that let them down as the first half ended goalless.
The second half was a similar story to the first as Mohammedan SC continued to dominate proceedings but attackes ran out of ideas on entering the penetrative zone of East Bengal.
While Mohammedan SC pressed high up, East Bengal managed to take the lead against the run of the play at the other end when Dong converetd a spot kick after Mohammedan SC custodian James Kithan fouled Lalrindika in prohibited area.
Mohammedan SC, afterwards, had numerous chances to equalise, but East Bengal managed to hold on with some solid defending as the game ended 1-0.
Mohammedan SC will play their final game in the competition on Sunday against Mohun Bagan, which will be another Derby, at Kalyani while East Bengal plays Aryan Club on the same day at Barasat.
Mohammedan SC XI – James Kaitan (GK); Nitesh Chikkaria, Lancing Toure, Rana Gharami (c), Pranit Lama Tamang; Atinder Mani (Sajeer KV – 61), Dipankar Das, Dipendu Dowary, Mumtaz Akhtar; Manvir Singh, Leonce Dodoz.
East Bengal XI – Dibyendu Sarkar (GK); Samad Ali Mallick (Koushik Sarkar – 93′), Arnab Mondal (c), Callum Angus, Narayan Das; Rahul Bheke, Mehtab Hossein, Mohammed Rafique (Bikash Jairu – 92′), Lalrindika Ralte; Do Dong Hyun (Abinash Ruidas-93′), Jiten Murmu.
Photo By Santanu Biswas.