MARGAO, FEB 20: The transition from boys to men in footballing terms is tough. FC Kochin's TFA youngsters learnt it the hard way once more. And from the same masters. East Bengal handed the Kerala professional side its second successive Coca-Cola National Football League (NFL) defeat, coming from behind to win the Super Six league match at the Nehru Stadium here 2-1, and preserve their unbeaten run in the competition.East Bengal, coming from the cauldron of Calcutta soccer, know a thing or two about winning when the chips are down. The Kochin lads are learning, but one suspects not too quickly. For the second straight match FC Kochin lost to East Bengal after taking an early lead.Mid-fielder Noel Wilson stunned East Bengal - which includes cousin Carlton Chapman - with a booming shot past an unsighted Bibhas Ghosh in the fifth minute. With vocal support spurring Kochin to early effervescence, East Bengal, a trifle casual, huffed and puffed to find their rhythm - a common occurrence in the early stagesof matches in this NFL, observed coach Manoranjan Bhattacharya. But quirks of fate in the form of two debilitating blunders in defence - both involving goalkeeper Naseem Akhter rudely cut Kochin's exuberance. Ghanian mid-fielder Emmauel Opoku brought relief for the Calcutta side in the 32nd minute with a 25-yarder that should have been kept out. Instead, Akhtar, attempting to collect where parrying the ball might have helped, let it slip in.Bhaichung Bhutia brought East Bengal full points, punishing another defensive error in the 55th minute. Opoku, inevitably perhaps, found the star striker with a menacing long ball after stopper AG Firoze failed to intercept. Frantic efforts by Kochin wing back Prabhjot Singh failed to check Bhutia who punished Akhter's failure to rush out. The International slotted home on the run, the ball taking the touch off the sliding Kochin goalkeeper.It was a rare piece of action that Bhutia enjoyed. The East Bengal striker came into the spotlight after the goal only fordubious reasons. A stupid piece of gamesmanship during a Kochin free-kick brooked a yellow card at the fag end of play.FC Kochin had lost to East Bengal 0-2 and 1-3 in the first phase and today's defeat once again underlined the need for proper temperament to sustain a good start all the way through. Coach Sreedharan, however, was pleased with his team's overall performance. So was Sreedharan's opposite number - Bhattacharya - who believed his young adversaries today had immense talent and will need watching in the coming year or two. ``They play well as a team, supporting each other,'' Bhattacharya said. He wasn't so generous about his own side, though, ``we were disjointed in the first twenty minutes. I feel my players are not serious at the start of the matches,'' Bhattacharya, former East Bengal stopper, reflected.clash of the locals: A keen contest is on cards when Goa's League champion Salgaocar will take on Churchill Brothers in the first leg of the Super League edition of the National Leaguebeing played at Nehru Stadium here tomorrow. The performance of both the teams in the away matches hasbeen disappointing, especially their finishing which they will have to sharpen up if they want to make a headway.Salgaocar has been able to collect only five points and Churhchill two points in their away matches of the total of 16 and 14 points each.
