Jaime Colado and K. Bidyashagar Singh scored a brace apiece as East Bengal routed Jamshedpur FC 6-0 to record its second consecutive win in the Durand Cup football tournament on Tuesday.
Playing in front of a partisan crowd, EB outsmarted an inexperienced JFC, made up of several reserve players, in the Group A contest to brighten its chances of making it to the semifinals.
Early lead
JFC goalkeeper Amit Gope performed a rough tackle on Colado, who converted the resultant penalty to give EB a sixth minute lead. A minute later, a rampaging Colado moved swiftly to make the most of a chance.
However, the Spaniard, who seemed to be in discomfort due to the challenge from Gope, soon left the field to make way for Boithang Haokip. EB continued to dominate amid heavy showers and Pintu Mahato beat the JFC defence to score in the 32nd minute.
JFC deserved credit for showing some spine and attacking the opposition after the change of ends.
Harsha Parui’s long ranger from left along the ground was thwarted by diving EB ’keeper Mirshad K. in the 55th minute, while Aakash Dave’s surprise shot from a top-of-the-box melee was again pouched by an alert Mirshad in 72nd minute.
EB looked for counter-attacks and succeeded in the 75th. Brandon Vanlalremdika received a precise aerial ball and crossed to his left to Bidyashagar to make it 4-0. The two combined again for Bidyashagar to net his second. Bidyashagar turned supplier and Haokip found the mark to pile on JFC’s misery in injury time.
The result: East Bengal 6 (Colado 6, 7; Mahato 32; Bidyashagar 75, 79; Haokip 92) bt Jamshedpur FC 0 .
