Durand Cup 2019 | East Bengal beat Bengaluru FC 2-1 to seal semis spot
Kolkata giants East Bengal came from behind to beat Bengaluru FC 2-1 and seal a spot in the semi-final stage of the 129th edition of the Durand Cup, thanks to a brace by Bidyashagar Singh. In other matches, while Gokhulam Kerala comprehensively beat Air Force 3-0, FC Goa bested Chennai City FC 2-1.
East Bengal had approached the match at the back of some fine form and needed just a draw to enter the last four. However, they got a reality check with BFC’s Ajay Chhetri putting his team into the lead from a rebound after Edmund Lalrindika’s 17th-minute effort came off the bar.
The reserve side of the ISL team did manage to hold off East Bengal for the better part of the match and things changed only after coach Alejandro Menendez introduced Bidyashagar after half time. He took 15 minutes to score the leveller, with a nice half-volley before he got the winner in the 74th minute with another fine solo effort. East Bengal topped their group winning all their games.
If Bidyashagar was the hero for East Bengal, Kerala found their own in Trinidad and Tobago striker Marcus Joseph. Joseph scored two goals, either side of a strike from Shibil Muhammed as they beat IAF 3-0, for their second successive win.
FC Goa was also lining up for a spot in the top four from Group-C and was guided by Liston Colaco for the same who took the lead in the 10th minute before Chennai City FC restored parity in the 18th minute through Mashoor Shereef’s header. However, Nestor Dias scored in the 31st minute to help FC Goa get all three points.
The results:
Group-A: East Bengal (Bidyashagar Singh 59, 74) bt Bengaluru FC 1 (Ajay Chhetri 17); Group-C: FC Goa 2 (Liston Colaco 10, Nestor Dias 31) bt Chennai City FC 1 (Mashoor Shereef 18); Group-D: Gokulam Kerala FC 3 (Marcus Joseph 43, 86, Shibil Muhammed 56) bt IAF 0.
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