Match Report- East Bengal FC 0-1 Mohammedan Sporting Club

Mohammedan edge past East Bengal to start the Calcutta Football League Premier Division with a Bang!

It was to be a memorable start to a historic league. The mighty East Bengal were playing against a club whose glory days were lost in history. But it just was not the Champions' day.

East Bengal coach Armado Colaco fielded a precariously offensive side with talents like Mehtab Hossain, Mohammed Rafiq and Sukhwinder Singh in the midfield. The line was led by the talismanic Ranti Martins playing up front. Custodian Abhra Mondal was started as well. Notably, players like Ralte and Abranches were not fielded.

Mohammedan Sporting Club too came out with a strong squad with players like Basant Singh, Arnab Das and Imran Khan.

The match started off on an expected note; East Bengal the incumbent Champions and also currently the most successful of the Calcutta clubs, attacked with great panache and skill. Their love for the right flank was overtly visible, and their poignance did create some pressure on their opponents. A string of shots and corners earned, were well defended though. 

East Bengal's imperious attacking was aptly exploited by Mohammedan on the counter. It was in the 25th minute, after a corner was earned from a deflected shot, that Imran Khan released a lethal scorching shot which was deflected into the net by defender Safar Sardar. However, the ball would still have ended up inside the net in all probabilty; such was the power. Much against the run of play, Md. Sporting had taken the lead.

Following the surprise lead, the team in black and white showed great zest and coordination. Swift passes and crosses nearly resulted in another goal. A long range cross met Basant Singh's neat header only to be parried away by the East Bengal shotstopper. The marvelous save would have aroused the jealousy of Golden Glove winner Neuer.

In the second half, Mohammedan started with a very parochial strategy of defending; or atleast that was the intention. Alarmingly, East Bengal players were left unmarked even within the box and the holding midfielders seeemed to be ambling confusedly in their own half. The red and white team attacked with renewed vigour. They were clearly the dominating side throughout the game and this was starkly evident in the second half. Several chances though, were missed. Martins' header agonizingly glanced of the post and several shots were saved by the goalkeeper Arnab Das who deserves a special commendation for his stellar saves. Long range efforts, short range shots, one on ones,crosses..nothing was a bridge too far to cross. On the one occassion when he was beaten, defender Ugachuwa came up with an off the line clearance to keep his team in the hunt.

The commentator's analogy of the Sporting defence to the Great Wall of China is the most apt description. The team after an initial shabby start, re-organized itself and defended well. It wasn't flawless though, and East Bengal should have equalised. However it was enough. In attack,  Mohammedan was but a pinprick. 

A bit of controversy for this match can be accrued to the referee. He did not display a single card despite several horrendous and alarming tackles. One east bengal player even elbowed an opponent in the face while another dangerous landed on a Mohammedan player's neck in an aerial challenge.

In the end, it was part grit and part organisation that won it for Mohammedan. East Bengal will go home knowing they have thrown away a chance to get their Calcutta Football League off to a positive start. 

The competition can only get better from here!