I-League 2015-16: Aizawl FC vs East Bengal FC - As it happened...

Hosts Aizawl FC were beaten by East Bengal in a crucial Round 13 match of I-League 2015-16.

New Delhi: East Bengal left the home fans in Aizawl stunned, as Ranti Martin's hat-trick powered them to a 3-2 win.

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FULL TIME: AIZAWL FC 2-3 EAST BENGAL FC

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That's it! EB complete a memorable comeback to script a 3-2 at Aizawl.

The home side in meltdown mode.

Chullova walks off the field as he collects two Yellow cards#AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-3 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

GOAL!

Ranti Martins gets @eastbengalfc their third as the tables turn on Aizawl FC#AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-3 #KEB pic.twitter.com/l39UAjvrXC

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

East Bengal complete a stunning comeback. The home fans are left heart-broken.

Ranti has his hat-trick. Rafique's dummy helped Ranti with the finish. 

GOAL!

Ranti Martins scores with a header from Jairu's cross. We are level, with 84 minutes on the clock. 

Bikash and Ranti tag team @eastbengalfc into an equaliser! #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-2 #KEB pic.twitter.com/klF0VB0McQ

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Ranti Martins misses a great chance to equalize, and Jairu fires over. 

Mendy putting that ball out of harms way #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-1 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

A beautiful dummy by @AizawlFC would have taen them onto a thrid if only it were on-target #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-1 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Mendy making sure that there are no further attacks from the right flanks #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-1 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

GOAL!

Martins scores! @eastbengalfc back in the game with that penalty #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-1 #KEB pic.twitter.com/k6pcOYG7cu

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Ranti Martins converts the penalty. Over 20 minutes to find the equalizer. 

Emmanuel gets himself a red card and @eastbengalfc get ready to take the penalty #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 2-0 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

GOAL!

And he finally nails it! Yuta scores for the home team, taking them onto a 2-0 lead #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague pic.twitter.com/aKOnIFDZri

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Substitution from EB

Bikash in, Sylo out for @eastbengalfc #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 1-0 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Mendy creating a window of an opportunity for @AizawlFC. Unexpected mistakes by the visitor defence #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 1-0 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Another long ranger from the home team finds its way into the safe hands of Barreto

Another long range effort from Yuta misses the mark.

Cavin Lobo's delivers a lovely cross, but there is no end product.

Robert and Alfred are yellow carded by the referee.

The second half is underway...

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HALF TIME: AIZAWL FC 1-0 EAST BENGAL FC

With Brandon taking the hometeam onto a lead, will the visitors equalise? #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 1-0 #KEB pic.twitter.com/0EY4HQzKcq

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

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3 mins added time before the first half comes to a close.

A rescuing header from Robert prevents the visitors from going down 0-2.

Chullova displays his overlapping skills, as he attempts to give Aizawl another goal

Yuta going in for a long shot but misses by a margin.

Abinash and Ranti seem to have found a chink in the defense as they attacked three times in a row. 

Two golden opportunites back to back for Ranti Martins #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 1-0 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Bello Rasaq wards off a sure shot attack. Good defending from him.

GOAL!

Hosts take the lead...

A spectaular cross met by as target ready Brandon finds it's way into the nets #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 1-0 #KEB pic.twitter.com/eMFoTKJddv

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

Ranti Martins with an excellent first-time volley, but the ball flies wide. 

Another attempt by @eastbengalfc. #AFCvKEB #HeroILeague #AFC 0-0 #KEB

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

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Team line-ups:

Here's the starting 11 for today's @AizawlFC & @eastbengalfc.
Tune in https://t.co/67An43Iltk#AFCvKEB #HeroILeague pic.twitter.com/nz0RWQdbZj

— Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) March 12, 2016

This is how the venue for today's match looks like...

The picturesque Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Aizawl where #KEB will take on @AizawlFC on 12th March at 2 pm.  pic.twitter.com/ieO33L99XA

— KF East Bengal (@eastbengalfc) March 11, 2016

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Match preview

East Bengal's chequered form has been their biggest impediment in their hopes of winning the football tournament.

They collected momentum after the arrival of former French international Bernard Mendy, winning three consecutive matches to rub shoulders with tournament favourites Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC. Some pundits even dubbed them co-favourites as the race began to heat up.

But since then they have been derailed in two matches, losing 0-2 away against last boys DSK Shivajians and 1-3 against a struggling Salgaocar, leaving them third with 17 points from 10 matches.

The twin defeats left them with a mountain to climb as they trail leaders Mohun Bagan by five points with six matches left to be played. Second-placed Bengaluru also have 22 but have played a game more. Aizawl lie seventh with nine points from 10 matches.

More than the margin, the nature of defeat has disappointed the East Bengal coach Biswajit Bhattacharya and the expectant fans more.

They lacked cohesiveness on the pitch and presented heartless efforts against the two bottom-most teams in the league, shocking the team contingent.

The problem lies in every department with the defence being a picture of wobbliness, midfielders chasing shadows of their opponents and frustrated attackers forced to fend for themselves, managing very few scoring opportunities.

To compound the creases in the forehead of Bhattacharya was the form of his team's foreigners.

Veteran defender Bello Rassaq has been a pale shadow of himself after his much-publicised switch from Mohun Bagan at the beginning of the season.

His partnership with India international Arnab Mandal has been anything but assured leaving Bhattacharya to contemplate fielding Mendy beside Rassaq.

Mendy himself has been criticised for his poor fitness levels and apparent immobility at the centre of the pitch. Nigerian striker Ranty Martins, their best frontman, has been starved of ball supply, leaving him frustrated at the final third.

But the bewildering mystery in the team has been South Korean midfielder Do Dong-hyun's fall from grace.

He announced his arrival with a magical brace against Mohun Bagan in a 4-0 rout in the Calcutta Football League at the start of the season but since then has faded into oblivion to the point that he wasn't even included in the 18-man squad for two matches.

Bhattacharya is under pressure to galvanise a disorganised and demotivated bunch of players and only a win on Saturday can glue up the faltering outfit.