East Bengal on top for
second successive week

S. Ayyappa Swamy

Legendary British premier Winston Churchill was known for his fiery oratory skills which brought out the best from his countrymen. And Mahindra United president Alan Durante, who is also the executive president of Mahindra and Mahindra (Automotive Division) is perhaps heading towards that direction.

What he exactly told his players at the Cooperage dressing room is not known. But it certainly made some difference as the Mahindra United players moved with lightning feet, and coupled it with some shrewdness, to score their second victory in the fifth National Football League.

The 2-0 victory over an out-of-sorts Churchill Brothers saw them enter double figures, but still continue to languish in the middle of the 12-team league table.

The Churchill players came up with an astounding display of arrogance, probably stemming from the piquant behaviour of their patrons as also a general apathy towards fairplay. One player, Edson de Crasto, was sent off with a double booking and at least two others deserved stronger punishments.

Air-India perhaps could ask Mr Durante on loan, not to play of course, but to provide pre-match talk. Coach Bimal Ghosh has tried every trick in the book to enhance his players' goal-scoring abilities. He switched dressing rooms, used smaller goalposts in practice, played music to sooth the tense nerves and finally decided to remain on the ground during the break. All this to no avail, as all it fetched was one beautiful goal by Khalid Jamil and some more missed chances as they fought back to hold Indian Telephone Industries to a 1-1 draw.

While the two Bombay teams remain at the bottom half of the table, Calcuatta giants East Bengal continued their stay at the top for the second round in-a-row by bringing to a halt promoted side Vasco's unbeaten run with a clinical 3-0 victory at home. Omolaja Olalekan got his fourth goal and Dipankar Roy, one who is building up an enviable reputation, his third.

One point behind East Bengal at 18 are F C Kochin, who did what few teams have achieved -- beat State Bank of Travancore, in Thiruvananthapuram. Though SBT are yet to win a match, coach Mohd. Najeeb’s sons-of-the-soil team have always been tough customers at home. Against their statemates, SBT took the lead through Shabbir Ali but then had no answer to FCK’s foreign hand as goalkeeper Sunday Seah dropped his gloves, turned striker and scored twice as his side won 4-1.

Mohun Bagan and Salgaocar, the two champions, have always produced champagne stuff in their matches. In what was the last match of the eighth round, the two played out an exciting draw with the Calcutta side being denied full points by outstanding goalkeeping by Ali Abubakar, a young Ghanian prince, who was with FC Kochin until last year. Brazilian Jose Barretto of Mohun Bagan was superb again but his two efforts were saved by Abubakar.

Coach Amal Dutta has a one-point agenda for Tollygunge Aggragami -- hold your end up first and earn a draw. And that's what he achieved again against JCT at Ludhiana, and will do so again and again in forthcoming matches.

Will somebody save Indian football fans from this 'passionate' coach who deserves to be sent back in mothballs.

Best goal: Khalid Jamil’s curling free-kick for Air-India against ITI.

Best match: FC Kochin beating SBT 4-1 after being a goal down and two goals being scored by goalkeeper Sunday Seah.

Disappointment: Mahindra United unable to press against a 10-man Churchill Brothers.

Results of the third round:
SBT lost to FC Kochin 1-4 at Thiruvananthapuram.
JCT drew with Tollygunge Aggragami 0-0 at Ludhiana.
Air-India drew with ITI 1-1 at Bombay.
Mahindra United beat Zee Churchill Brothers 2-0 at Bombay.
Salgaocar drew with Mohun Bagan 0-0 at Bangalore.
East Bengal beat Vasco 3-0 at Calcutta.

Related reports:
FC Kochin lead National Football League race
F C Kochin stay ahead
Salgaocar close in on early leaders
Mohun Bagan well-placed after five rounds
Air India, Mahindra in a spot - Summary of Round 6
East Bengal high in the saddle - Summary of Round 7