I-League: East Bengal, Bagan settle for scrappy draw

KOLKATA: It was a Kolkata derby without its usual sparkle. It was a contest without its beguiling nature. And with just about 30,000 spectators making it to the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday, the latest chapter in the age-old rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan produced a lackluster 1-1 draw on Tuesday.
In a match that can aptly be described as damp squib, Pierre Boya gave Mohun Bagan a ray of hope when he rose to the occasion to head his team into the lead in the 24th minute.But Ranty Martins brought Bagan down to the ground with a telling header on the half-hour mark to level it up. It was Ranty's fifth goal in six games, but it was worth only a point for a struggling East Bengal.
The match failed to match the drama that characterized its buildup, especially over the future of East Bengal coach Armando Colaco. He maintained his record of remaining unbeaten in 16 matches at the venue as East Bengal coach, but his team failed to give him a winning farewell.
For a change, Mohun Bagan looked better prepared than their rivals in seizing the opportunity, but the Sony Norde and Boya failed to deliver the coup d'état.
The first half did promise a lot.The contest was barely 49 seconds old when Ranty was handed a gilted chance inside the Mohun Bagan box. Dudu Omagbemi's header set his teammate free as Kingshuk Debnath failed to close him down.But with space in front and just Debjit Majumdar to beat, Ranty did little justice to his reputation by shooting straight at the rookie goalkeeper.
Mohun Bagan responded immediately with Sony shooting over from the edge of the box and Balwant Singh forcing Raju Gaikwad into making a timely intervention. With pressure mounting at both ends, there was a sense of anticipation among the supporters of both the clubs. The game sprang to life in the 24th minute -and how! Boya, who had fired his header straight into East Bengal goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal from handshaking distance following a perfectly weighted cross from Katsumi Yusa in the 23rd minute, made amends in the very next minute. The collective cry of anguish from Bagan supporters had barely died down when the Cameroonian made his presence felt in telling fashion.