JCT lose to erring Bagan

In contrast, the Bagan defence lacked in coordination with hardly any understanding between goalkeeper Dinesh Nayar and the back four. In fact, on occasions when Samuel Omollo moved up, the rest of the defence was all at sea. Jeevan Moraes, playing after a long gap, was confident while thwarting the rare JCT attacks, but hardly had any idea where skipper and left-back Biswanath Mondal was. Either both went for the same ball, thus leaving a gap, or both left a clearance thinkingthe other was taking it.

In the later part of the game in particular, the Bagan defence just crumbled and they should consider themselves lucky at not conceded another goal, apart from the one in the 89th minute which helped JCT reduce the margin.

The Bagan midfield, however, put up a much better show with Khentang Paite and Soumitra Chakraborty feeding the forwards very well. In fact, they put Chima Okerie and Nazimul Haque in the clear a number of times with both, particularly the latter, missing sitters. Haque managed to get one goal, but spurned many.

Haque8217;s strike in the 27th minute was an opportunistic one which actually should have been Okerie8217;s. A Chakraborty flag-kick found Okerie in perfect position for a header. However, JCT defender Deepak Mondal was there for a goal-line save. Haque pounced on the weak clearance and banged it home.

Bagan had to wait till the 74th minute for the second goal. Once again, it was a Mondal clearance which landed at Ranjan Chowdhury8217;s feet inside the JCT box.Chowdhury placed it in to the right of goalkeeper Baljit Singh.

Late in the match, JCT did come back with a few attacks and managed to score through a defensive lapse. Substitute Sukhjit Singh grabbed a long ball and finding defenders Moraes and Reazul Mustafa out of position, only had to jab in past the diving Dinesh.