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I-League: Hammond Gives East Bengal Rare Cooperage Win
East Bengal win their second league game in a row...
07-Nov-2009 5:03:12 PM
It took East Bengal six games to register their first win in the league, but they made it two out of two, as they scraped past Air India at the Cooperage on Saturday. Abel Hammond scored his second goal for the club, heading in a cross in the 29th minute. Interestingly, it is the first time since December 2003 that East Bengal have defeated Mumbai opposition at this ground.
Air India made a number of changes in the defence line as Behnam Mohammed and Syed Farid were given starts while East Bengal brought in Srecko Mitrovic in place of a suspended Mehtab Hussain.
The first threat came in the 12th minute when Abel Hammond laid it for Nirmal Chhetri whose first time cross, which was moving away from the goalkeeper, produced a few nervy moments at the back in Yakubu's presence.
Nabi's good work down the left ended in a looping cross which Abel Hammond couldn't connect in the 21st minute. Three minutes later, Nirmal Chhetri sent in another good ball from a set piece which saw a clash between Behnam and Arnab Das Sarma which saw the play being stopped for six minutes. Bimal Ghosh was forced to twin substitutions as Harpreet Singh and Sambhu Mistry replaced the duo not producing another moment of shambolic defending.
The play resumed and Subhash Singh picked up the pieces off the cornerkick and his cross was ably headed in by Abel Hammond in the 29th minute.
Srecko Mitrovic showed his class when his long range attempt hit the inside of the crossbar to come out as Air India players heaved a sigh of relief.
After the break, Air India tried to pile some pressure on the visitors and they could have equalised just seven minutes after the break when Soccor Velho's header was parried away by Avijit Ghosh.
Four minutes later, Ravinder Singh wasted yet another free-kick, this time from the edge of the box, as his shot sailed over. East Bengal could have doubled the lead when a mix-up between Shabhu Mistry and Khelemba Singh would have allowed Syed Nabi to head it in.
Khelemba Singh's free header at the far post went over the bar from a Ravinder Singh flag-kick in the 65th minute. Realizing the threat posed by the Airmen, coach Tushar Rakshit brought in Riston Rodrigues to add more strength in the middle as Subhash Singh made way for him.
Air India would rue their chance when Soccor Velho laid the ball for Tapan Maity inside the box who took one tocuh too many before his shot was comfortably blocked. The 76th minute presented another opportunity to the Mumbai club as Dada Nabeel sent the ball into the orbit from eight yards out after Vijith Shetty's cross saw Avijit Ghosh come out of his line.
Henry Gangte needlessly fouled Hammond at the edge of the box as the resulting Yakubu free-kick was just about kept out by Shambu Mistry and from the follow-up Hammond's effort came off the bar in the 79th minute.
In a quick counter in the injury time saw Yakubu and Harmanjot combine with the latter's shot missing the far post.
The Red and Gold's midfield looked non existent in the second half as Air India spent almost the whole 45 minutes into their opposition's half. However, the Kolkatans held on for their first win at the Cooperage in six years against a Mumbai club.
Rahul Bali
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