Sporting toy with East Bengal, score twice

Kolkata, Mar 21 (UNI) Sporting Clube de Goa held their sway over East Bengal humiliating them 2-0 in their backyard in the NFL here today.

It would take sometime to recollect when did East Bengal played so badly.

The match began with both teams on equal footing with the ball travelling from one end of the field to another. But after having settled the nerves, Sporting took control of the match. With the Goan midfield performning like a well oiled machine the match was in their control.

The first goal came in the 20th minute. A freak clearance from Felix Gomes saw Jeremiah collect the ball in the rival box, shrugged his markers off with a wicked half-turn and dribbled past a prostrate Rajat Ghosh Dastidar and slammed home. The red-gold defence looked like a painted picture---static and leadfooted.

The last nail on the coffin was struck in the 50th minute when Bello Rajjak clearance was collected by Dudu Omagbeni. The revitalised East Bengal defence led by Sursh decided to lay an off-side trap.

Dudu, too much of a pro to be fooled, went back to collect the ball, sprinted down the ground, pulled Rajat with him and set up Jeremiah with a fine minus.

The burly forwrad only had to tap in his second goal of the evening.

If They scored twice, Dudu was responsible for missing at least half a dozen chances.

East Bengal got only one clear look at the goal in the 32nd minute when Alvito's through pass found Ambani and Edmilson in the clear. But the duo wasted enough time in deciding who would do the honours of shooting and the Sporting defence regrouped.

After the match, the fans showed their ire, brickbatting the East Bengal team bus. One of the glass panes was shattered. The red-golds left swiftly in police protection as the chance of making to the top of league table looked like a distance dream.

UNI