Kolkata: East Bengal will be wondering why they couldn’t begin like how they ended against Punjab FC. The 0-0 draw kept the Kolkata giants on top with 22 points from 11 matches but also with them looking over their shoulder to see how Mohun Bagan Super Giant fare against Inter Kashi on Tuesday. Win and Mohun Bagan will go on top with 24 points setting things up perfectly for Saturday’s Kolkata derby.
Rarely has a goalless draw produced 29 attempts on goal and left both teams feeling they could have won it. Together, the teams hit the framework thrice and it needed Prabhsukhan Gill to be at his best to keep East Bengal in the running for the Indian Super League (ISL) title. If it boils down to a race between the Kolkata giants, their result against Punjab FC could turn out to be crucial. Mohun Bagan needed a late goal to notch up a 3-2 win against Panagiotios Dilmperis’s side who have been one of the most improved teams in the competition.
Oscar Bruzon knew how Punjab FC would come at East Bengal. They pack the middle and accumulate players in front, the East Bengal coach had said in a flash interview with the official broadcasters before Monday’s match at Salt Lake stadium here. But it is one thing knowing what the opponents can do and quite another to prevent them from doing it. Three bookings, one of them for simulation, showed how East Bengal were struggling.
Samir Zelkovic broke through but Gill prevented Punjab FC from making an early impact. Then, Daniel Ramirez hit the upright from range. Gill had to make a save again after Ricky Shabong found Manglenthang Kipgen who controlled the ball over the top well but couldn’t follow it up with a shot half as good.
Punjab FC formed neat triangles on the left with Muhammed Uvais, Nsungusi Effiong and Ramirez an, had midfielders storming into the front third. Ramirez going solo when Effiong and Singamayum Shami were better placed was an aberration on a night he kept moving through the lines. East Bengal’s replied with a poor challenge on Punjab FC’s No.10 from skipper Souvik Chakrabarty leading to a booking. And to Bruzon hooking off the central midfielder in the 22nd minute. Bruzon had done that with Lalchunnunga in the defeat to Jamshedpur FC here and unlike the central defender, Chakrabarti made his displeasure clear.
Jeakson Singh replaced Chakrabarti and East Bengal ended the first half with Miguel Ferreira showing why he can frustrate and fascinate in equal measure, The Brazilian, who had served a suspension for kicking a ball at the Bengaluru FC bench, found Bipin Singh with an excellent pass but goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh narrowed the angle quickly. Then, in first-half stoppage time, Ferreira was booked for diving. Given his ability to turn a game, Bruzon did not mete out the Chakrabarti treatment.
Their wings clipped, East Bengal’s only other attempt of note before half-time was a long-ranger from Anwar Ali that Singh collected easily. PV Vishnu began the second half with a delivery that flew over Mohamad Rakip, Bruzon showing his frustration by gesturing that if only he had played it along the ground, East Bengal’s wingbacks could have combined for goal. Again, Punjab FC came strongly at the home team forcing Gill to make three saves in quick succession.
The first was cutting out a ball from Effiong before Kevin Sibille cleared. Gill then had to fly and keep out a smart header that Punjab FC midfielder Shami had bounced into the turf. The last save was from a Zelkovic chip after Ramirez had sparked chaos in the East Bengal penalty area with a clever ball over the top. That central defenders Sibille and Ali along with Gill were East Bengal’s best players till then showed how good Punjab FC were.
East Bengal were at their best in the final quarter of regulation time and beyond showing they are not in pole position for nothing. Ferreira nearly got the 17,000 and some celebrating with a snap left footer that grazed the upright before Mohamad Basim, seeing Singh off his line, hit the framework with a 40-yard drive. A back-heel from Ferreira would have been a spectacular end for the hosts but the ball sailed into the night sky.
