VASCO, May 4: Dempo Sports Club brought down the curtains on East Bengal’s title hopes with a 2-2 draw at Tilak Maidan, Vasco, on Saturday (May 4).
Penn Orji had provided East Bengal with a 17th minute lead and East Bengal seemed to be in control until Dempo turned the tables in the second half with goals from Joy Ferrao and John Menyongar. Ishfaq Ahmed’s goal in the 83rd minute sparked life but East Bengal could not get the desired result in the end.
The loss killed East Bengal’s title hopes as they had to win to stay alive. With 44 points and two matches in hand, they could miss out on the second spot as well as Pune FC (49 points) are in better position.
East Bengal took the field with purpose as they piled on the early pressure with Edeh Chidi and Baljit Sahni hardly providing the rival defence with time to breathe. Penn Orji was moving for the kill as well, stretching the Dempo defence at will.
Chidi and Orji were combining effectively and the first chance fell at Orji’s feet quite early. It was, as expected, initiated by Chidi but with only the goalkeeper to beat, Orji shockingly shot wide.
Some time later, Mehtab Hossain and Chidi combined to create an opening for Baljit, but the striker missed the ball at the far post.
East Bengal opened the account in the 17th minute through the boots of Orji who found space inside the danger zone and hammered the ball into the net.
Dempo did not enjoy too many chances. Their only chance came at the fag end of the session when Ryuji Sueoka had a good look at the goal until Uga Okpara came up with a great tackle.
In the second session, Dempo coach Armando Colaco introduced Joy Ferrao for Clifford Miranda and the substitute had an immediate impact as he headed Godwin Franco’s freekick for the equaliser.
The equaliser galvanised Dempo who, all of a sudden, started calling the shots. In one such spell of domination, another substitute, John Menyongar, dribbled his way past two defenders and took a shot from just outside the box that sailed into the goal in the 74th minute.
In the 83rd minute, Ishfaq brought East Bengal back in the game but that was not enough for East Bengal in the end.
Penn Orji had provided East Bengal with a 17th minute lead and East Bengal seemed to be in control until Dempo turned the tables in the second half with goals from Joy Ferrao and John Menyongar. Ishfaq Ahmed’s goal in the 83rd minute sparked life but East Bengal could not get the desired result in the end.
The loss killed East Bengal’s title hopes as they had to win to stay alive. With 44 points and two matches in hand, they could miss out on the second spot as well as Pune FC (49 points) are in better position.
East Bengal took the field with purpose as they piled on the early pressure with Edeh Chidi and Baljit Sahni hardly providing the rival defence with time to breathe. Penn Orji was moving for the kill as well, stretching the Dempo defence at will.
Chidi and Orji were combining effectively and the first chance fell at Orji’s feet quite early. It was, as expected, initiated by Chidi but with only the goalkeeper to beat, Orji shockingly shot wide.
Some time later, Mehtab Hossain and Chidi combined to create an opening for Baljit, but the striker missed the ball at the far post.
East Bengal opened the account in the 17th minute through the boots of Orji who found space inside the danger zone and hammered the ball into the net.
Dempo did not enjoy too many chances. Their only chance came at the fag end of the session when Ryuji Sueoka had a good look at the goal until Uga Okpara came up with a great tackle.
In the second session, Dempo coach Armando Colaco introduced Joy Ferrao for Clifford Miranda and the substitute had an immediate impact as he headed Godwin Franco’s freekick for the equaliser.
The equaliser galvanised Dempo who, all of a sudden, started calling the shots. In one such spell of domination, another substitute, John Menyongar, dribbled his way past two defenders and took a shot from just outside the box that sailed into the goal in the 74th minute.
In the 83rd minute, Ishfaq brought East Bengal back in the game but that was not enough for East Bengal in the end.
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