Calcutta (India): Vikram Partap Singh turned out to be hero as All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) developmental side Indian Arrows upset East Bengal 1-0 on Saturday.
The Arrows skipper scored the only goal in the 58th minute.
The victory took Arrows to seven points, but East Bengal rest at sixth with 11 points from nine outings.
East Bengal’s new coach Mario Rivera Campesino made two changes — Marti Crespi was reinstated, having served his one-match suspension, with the other change being the introduction of Tondomba Naorem, in place of Kassim Aidara.
Arrows coach Shanmugam Venkatesh recalled Biaka Jongte under the woodwork, having preferred Samik Mitra against Real Kashmir. Saurabh Meher and Ajin Tom also returned to the line-up comprising a 4-5-1.
Marcos De La Espada had the first of many when an inch-perfect cross-field delivery from Tondomba Naorem found the Spaniard, but his first touch was too heavy, which allowed Ajin Tom enough time to make the cover and block his attempt.
Five minutes later, it was Marcos compatriot Crespi, who missed from barely a couple of yards from the target, despite being unmarked and Lalrindika Ralte’s immaculate delivery.
A pile-driver from Lalrindika Ralte came agonisingly close in the half-hour mark, evading the far post by a whisker but the game finished goalless at the break.
In the 55th minute, Marcos’s timely layoff fell to Jaime Santos Colado should have ideally broken the deadlock, but missed the chance.
Ansumana Kromah came on as a substitute and had a chance in the 71st minute when he tapped in a driven delivery from the left, but was flagged offside.
In the 85th minute, a 35-yard piledriver from Crespi was kept out by Jongte but the rebound fell to Kromah but the Liberian blasted over the crossbar.
East Bengal’s proverbial salt to their wounds were added when Marcos was sent off for a reckless studs-up challenge in the stoppage time. (Source: AIFF)
