East Bengal crowned SUPER CUP Champions
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Kolkata giants East Bengal edged past Federation Cup and National Football League champions Mahindra United 2-1 to lift the ONGC Super Cup title at Cooperage in Mumbai today.
In a pulsating encounter full of goalmouth thrills, runners-up East Bengal took a 2-0 lead in the first half through strikes by Cameroonian Ndem Kiyeck (23’) and Alvito D'cunha (33’). In the absence skipper Bhaichung Bhutia, the left-footed D'Cunha played a stellar role by paving the way for the opening strike and then scoring the second with his swerving corner kick.
Playing second fiddle in the first half for the most part, Mahindra came back strongly in the second to reduce the margin in the 66th minute through their Ghanaian import Yusif Yakubu.
But despite pitching their tent virtually in the East Bengal half and making repeated, dangerous forays deep, the local champions just could not score the equaliser.
East Bengal showed all their skills in deep defence, some luck and a few miskicks from the Mahindra shooters to keep the latter at bay in the last half hour of the tie.
East Bengal: Rajat Ghosh Dastidar, Rahim Nabi, Guy Martial, M. Suresh, Sasty Duley (Covan Lawrence), Jayanta Sen, Ndem Kiyeck, Debabrata Roy, Mama (Dipankar Roy), Alvito D'Cunha(Kulothungan), Gouranga Dutta.
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