LUDHIANA (Punjab): East Bengal were held to a 1-1 draw Punjab FC in their second match of I-League on Saturday.
The hosts took the lead after Danilo Augusto headed home Sanju Pradhan’s free-kick in the 13th minute.
The Red and Golds fought hard to equalise, but Yan Law’s side held on to their lead at the half-time.
But the Calcutta side escaped with a point when Juan Mera equalised in the 84th minute.
East Bengal’s Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez Garcia named a largely unchanged line-up from the side that drew 1-1 at home against Real Kashmir FC.
Samad Ali Mallick started in place of Kamalpreet Singh in defence.
The Punjab side had opened their campaign with a 3-0 defeat against Churchill Brothers FC Goa in their opening match of the season, which prompted Yan Law make a couple of changes.
Kiran Kumar Limbu started in goal ahead of Bhaskar Roy. Samuel Shadap slotted into the backline in place of the suspended Anwar Ali.
Punjab captain Sanju Pradhan retained his place in the line-up with Bali Gagandeep getting the nod upfront, starting with Aser Dipanda Dicka.
The opening minutes of the match showcased a cagey affair between the two sides, with East Bengal pressed hard from the get-go and had better exchanges and opportunities in the final third.
The visitors had an opportunity to shot into the lead in the 10th minute, but Jaime Santos Colado shot from top of the box was brilliantly kept out by Limbu at the Punjab goal.
Punjab defended well as East Bengal found it difficult for the winner as the hosts walked off with a hard-fought effort that fetched them their first points in the competition.
Gokulam Kerala, with two wins in as many matches, currently lead the table followed by Churchill Brothers who take on Mohun Bagan tomorrow in Calcutta.
