East Bengal returned to winning ways, on Bengali New Year’s Day, with a 1-0 win over Mumbai FC in their round 21 ONGC I-League match at Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) here on Thursday.
|Last Updated: Apr 15, 2010, 09:42 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Kolkata: East Bengal returned to winning ways, on Bengali New Year’s Day, with a 1-0 win over Mumbai FC in their round 21 ONGC I-League match at Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) here on Thursday.
Yusif Yakubu converted a penalty in the 60th minute to help East Bengal register their first win after seven matches in the I-League, even as India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia made a comeback from his injury lay-off playing the last 17 minutes.
East Bengal thus averted the danger of relegation with the three points from the victory taking the red-and-gold brigade to eighth place on the 14-team standings.
The city giants now have 24 points from 20 matches, while Mumbai FC (21 points from 20 matches) remained on the 12th spot with relegation threat looming large.
With both the teams desperate for a win, East Bengal made a poor start and continued with their poor form. There were missed chances, lack of coordination as they failed to score in the first 45 minutes.
Picked in the starting line-up, Alvito D’Cunha did not have his share of luck, while skipper Syed Rahim Nabi did not have his coordination going with Yakubu as he too wasted a few chances with no goal from East Bengal’s attack.
It was in the 27th minute of the first-half, when East Bengal missed a sitter with Yakubu messing up an easy chance.
The Ghanaian striker was in a one-on-one situation but only to miss the target to see the stalemate prevailing.
But after the changeover, East Bengal regrouped and dished out a more organised performance.
Just when it seemed that East Bengal will have to settle for a goalless draw, a penalty did the trick. It was in the 58th minute when Kamaljeet Kumar brought down Abel Hammond inside the box and East Bengal were awarded a penalty.
This time, Yakubu was spot-on, converting the penalty to see East Bengal go 1-0 up.
Philippe de Ridder brought on India captain Bhutia in place of Beingaichho Beiokhokhei in the 73rd minute as East Bengal intensified their attack but they could not find the target further to settle for a 1-0 result.
Bhutia thus made a return having played his last match against Mahindra United in a I-League match on March 13 after which he pulled a hamstring muscle.
Mehtab Hossain was adjudged Man of the Match.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.