Injury-time goal help Air India hold East Bengal
- 10:01 AM
- By Football Fans Manipur
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KALYANI, March 23: Henry Ezeh earned a point for Air India making the most of a defensive lapse to score the equalizer in the injury time of the second half and made sure that the 21st round match of the I-League ended 1-1 at the Kalyani Stadium on Saturday (March 23). Earlier, East Bengal found the lead in the 60th minute off Nigerian Edeh Chidi.
In the first half, East Bengal made a few attacks through their strikers Chidi and Australian Andrew Barisic. But the home side could not make much out of those attacks as Sukhwinder Singh – the man the Air India goal – was in impeccable form.
Air India, which relied more on counter attack, almost got one through in the 38th minute but for the East Bengal defender Naoba Singh who made a desperate lunge to clear the ball as M. Pradeep aimed to shoot at a gaping goal.
East Bengal came back well in the second half and pushed Air India back into their defensive half. Chidi ensured the lead for the host latching on to a cross from Barisic that caught the Air India defenders unawares. The Nigerian striker fumbled initially while receiving the ball but made no mistake with his finishing.
Chidi had the opportunity to double the lead in the 62nd minute but his angular right-footer missed the mark by inches. Lalrindika Ralte, the East Bengal midfielder, repeated the profligacy of his upfront colleague when he shot wide from a close distance keeping the scoreline unaltered.
Finally, Henry Ezeh pulled Air India back from the jaws of defeat when he latched on to a long floater from Elijah Junior and beat the East Bengal goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu with an angled shot that had the ball rolling into the East Bengal goal before hitting the far upright. East Bengal had 41 points from 21 rounds while Air India had 19 from 20.
In the first half, East Bengal made a few attacks through their strikers Chidi and Australian Andrew Barisic. But the home side could not make much out of those attacks as Sukhwinder Singh – the man the Air India goal – was in impeccable form.
Air India, which relied more on counter attack, almost got one through in the 38th minute but for the East Bengal defender Naoba Singh who made a desperate lunge to clear the ball as M. Pradeep aimed to shoot at a gaping goal.
East Bengal came back well in the second half and pushed Air India back into their defensive half. Chidi ensured the lead for the host latching on to a cross from Barisic that caught the Air India defenders unawares. The Nigerian striker fumbled initially while receiving the ball but made no mistake with his finishing.
Chidi had the opportunity to double the lead in the 62nd minute but his angular right-footer missed the mark by inches. Lalrindika Ralte, the East Bengal midfielder, repeated the profligacy of his upfront colleague when he shot wide from a close distance keeping the scoreline unaltered.
Finally, Henry Ezeh pulled Air India back from the jaws of defeat when he latched on to a long floater from Elijah Junior and beat the East Bengal goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu with an angled shot that had the ball rolling into the East Bengal goal before hitting the far upright. East Bengal had 41 points from 21 rounds while Air India had 19 from 20.
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