Tuesday, Dec 24, 2002
Tuesday, Dec 24, 2002 |
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Football
By Our Special Correspondent
Leading 2-0 at half time and 3-1 by the eighth minute of second session, the local side looked on course but failed to sustain the tempo. Against the formidable Kolkata team, which is still to lose a match and is leading the table, such weakness cannot go unexploited. That Indian Bank, in the end, had to survive anxious final moments came as a study in contrast. Given the closeness of the match and the missed opportunities by both teams, the result seemed in tune with the absorbing nature of the contest where the game was the biggest winner. But East Bengal Coach, Subash Bhowmick differed. "The last quarter of the match, only one team played and that was us. I think we should have won. I am dissatisfied with the performance of my boys", he said. But the Bank's Coach V.P. Sathyan and Manager, D.V. Sundar, thought their team should have won "had we not missed a few easy chances. Still the result against such a strong side is always satisfying". For the record, the goals by Jeyasuriya, the `Man of the match' came in the 21st, 22nd and 53rd minute. Gilmar reduced the margin in the 51st minute, Chandan Pal's penalty in the 58th minute queered the pitch and then a minute later Venkatesh restored parity. After its misery against against Salgaocar the other day, few would have backed Indian Bank to do well against the organised attack-line of East Bengal where the Brazilian Gilmar Da Silva can be deadly with his ball control and the Nigerian Mike Okore dangerous with his speed and the instinct of a predator. But surprises never cease. The way Gilmar and Okoro probed the Bank defence in the initial phase, when goal-keeper Netto had to be extra alert, the Bank side looked to be in trouble. But in a flash the hunter became the hunted. A counter-attack that saw Harish (who had another good match) float a long ball and Sabir Pasha positioned himself well to head towards the goal-mouth. Jeyasuriya charged in to tap home and the unexpected had happened. A minute later Jeyasuriya stunned the Bengal goal-keeper Sandip Nandy with a 22-yard snap try and the Kolkata side was left dazed. With Nandy getting injured while trying to save the goal, the pressure was on Satish, incidentally a local lad. Luck smiled on him when Jeyasuriya missed a sitter and the Bank's Nigerian player, Festus messed up another in quick succession. However in the 14 minutes after resumption, the complexion changed dramatically. The new junior sensation, Malwawmtulunga was the man to shore up the East Bengal game. A smooth operator on the right wing, he replaced an off colour D'Cunha and the results came. Gilmar's scorcher past Netto's flailing hands was his assist. True Jeyasuriya matched that with a Pasha `provide' to the keep the Bank seemingly safe ahead but Malwawmtulunga had galvanised East Bengal attack. Chandan Pal won a penalty when Referee Manuel Pereira adjudged Bank defender Mugunthan had handled the ball (how he failed to see a palpable penalty situation when East Bengal defender Arun Malhotra pushed Pasha even as he launched for a goal-bound header in the first half is a mystery). However there was no question about Venkatesh's classic goal as he switched feet to deceive onrushing Netto. The excitement reached a crescendo. When a substitute Subhas Chakraborty blast in injury time beat all and bounced off the horizontal, East Bengal had the closest chance to clinch win. But that was not to be. With eight points from as many matches, Indian Bank plays its next home match on December 31 against Manaksia Tollygunge. East Bengal remains on top with 18 points off eight matches.
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