East Bengal clinch point on opening night after a hard fought contest against Jamshedpur

The Red and Gold Brigade started their fourth ISL campaign with a point at home against Jamshedpur FC after a spirited contest ended in a 0-0 draw at the VYBK Stadium in Kolkata.

Coach Carles had to tinker around at the back due to the absences of Jordan Elsey and Lalchungnunga which meant that we had to start with the untested pairing of Pardo and Captain Khabra on the night. The duo though held their own and forged a defining partnership in defence to keep the Red Miners at bay throughout the game. The game got off to a tentative start as both sides were cautious in their approach in the early exchanges. Towards the end of the half, Borja Herrera created a couple of great chances but the opposition keeper TP Rehenesh kept his side in the game with some heroic saves. Gill on the other hand didn’t have much to do as the Jamshedpur attack seldom found space to build anything meaningful.

Post the break, both teams came out with more intent looking for the goal but chances were available at a premium with both defences making it difficult for the attackers. Coach Carles rang the changes around the hour mark starting with Cleiton and Rakip coming on for Borja and Souvik. Mahesh and Nandha, continued to find space on the wings but the Red Miners continued to nullify the chances. Crespo came close to scoring from 30 yards in the 70th minute, after Nandha laid off a ball for him at the edge of the box but his shot hit the side netting on its way off target. Guite Vanlalpeka replaced Naorem Mahesh in the dying minutes of the game to become the 2nd youngest player to feature in the ISL, a moment to remember for the youngster as he looks to make a name for himself in the sport. With the scores tied 0-0, the referee blew the final whistle in the 98th minute, leaving both teams with a point each from the game.

Speaking after the match at the post match conference, Coach Carles Caudrat rued the absence of his first choice defenders and said he was satisfied with the point after he had to operate with a makeshift defence. Borja Herrera, who attended the conference with the gaffer added that the team created a lot of chances, worked really hard and wanted the 3 points. He reiterated that the plan is to continue to do the same and get better results in the upcoming games.

East Bengal FC return to action when they host Hyderabad FC at the VYBK Stadium on Saturday, 30th of September.