E Bengal rediscover lost magic in time

East Bengal seemed a depleted side due to the absence of top players who are attending the Indian Asiad camp in Bangalore. But Dipendu’s timely entry made the difference. And, even though he was not among the scorers, his mere presence boosted the team’s confidence. According to East Bengal officials, Dipendu had come for the crucial match after taking special permission from national coach Syed Nayeemuddin.

Since itwas a do-or-die situation for the Calcutta clubs, the match was fast-paced. After taking time to settle down, East Bengal were on the move, while Bagan held fort resolutely. The stalemate was broken in the 29th minute, when speedy striker Bijen Singh took advantage of a confused Bagan defence and dodged past goalkeeper Sandip Nandy to strike.

Bagan tried to retaliate but East Bengal foiled them by meticulously marking strikers Chima Okerie and Friday Elaiho. East Bengal goalkeeper Kalyan Chaubey also deserves credit for his valiant saves.

East Bengal’s young captain Renedy Singh, Dipendu Biswas, Bijen Singh, their Ghana players Emmanuel Opoku and Jackson Agyapong — all kept up the pressure. When the going got tough, Bagan, as expected, resorted to rough tactics. In the 66th minute, Bagan’s Arindam Sarkar was shown a yellow card for felling Opoku at the top of the box. Opoku capitalised on the resultant free-kick with a strong left-footer that slipped in past goalkeeper Nandy.