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Mahindra beat East Bengal 2-0 to enter Durand semifinal

Defending champions Mahindra United rode a double strike from Mohammed Rafi to blank East Bengal 2-0 and reach the semifinal of the 122nd ONGC Durand Cup football tournament here today.

New Delhi: Defending champions Mahindra United rode a double strike from Mohammed Rafi to blank East
Bengal 2-0 and reach the semifinal of the 122nd ONGC Durand Cup football tournament here today. Rafi struck in the 63rd and 66th minutes to help his side earn a well-deserved win at the Ambedkar Stadium in their last Group IV quarterfinal league match. With this win, Mahindra collected four points -- the same as Lajong FC -- but would advance to the semifinals from Group IV on better goal difference. The loss added to the cup of woes of East Bengal coach Subhash Bhowmick who has been in the firing line after four successive losses, including today`s, though his club had made it clear that he would not get the boot. The match turned sour for Mahindra coach David Booth too as he was told to leave the bench by referee Mohd Kamil for apparently arguing with him over a decision. The match never rose to any height till the hour mark with both the sides playing listless football even though the Mumbai side mounted more attack. Mahindra`s India right winger Steven Dias had a couple of free-kicks and sent a few curling crosses but could not bulge the East Bengal net before the breather. East Bengal`s national team player Renedy Singh had a curling right footer from just outside the Mahindra box in the 33rd minute but it missed the left post by a few yards. Three minutes later, Mahindra captain and India midfielder NP Pradeep shot wide from near the top edge of the East Bengal box. The match came to life after the hour mark with Mahindra pumping in two quick goals, both by Rafi. He first beat East Bengal goalkeeper Arup Debnath in an aerial contest before nodding the ball home off a pinpoint cross from the right by Dias in the 63rd minute. Three minutes later, Rafi blasted home a low left-footed grounder after a one-on-one with substitute Susanth Mathew inside the East Bengal box. Mahindra coach David Booth was elated with the outcome but insisted not using any foul word to the referee. "I did not use any foul word. I was just telling him that one of our players was caught by an East Bengal player on the waist. Anyway, it was his decision and I have to live with it," he said. Bureau Report