In a thrilling match that saw fortunes swing from end to the next, Chirag United SC did well to fight back and hold Air India 3-3 in their round three I-League encounter at the floodlit Yuba Bharati Krirangan (YBK) in Kolkata on Tuesday.
The home side was leading 1-0 at one point but went down 1-3 after the half-time. Just when it seemed United's two-match winning streak is nearing its end, Subrata Bhattacharya's boys bounced back and pumped in two more goals to deny the Mumbai side a full three points.
The hosts scored through Jayanta Sen (12th), Gauranga Dutta (67th) and Joshimar da Silva Martins (75th).
Dada Nabeel scored Air India's opening goal in the 18th minute and later N D Opara backed the score with a brace in the 42nd and 49th minutes.
With this draw, Chirag United have a total of seven points and share the top spot with Dempo and JCT.
With one win and a draw, Air India have four points against their name.
United were unlucky not to win the match as they missed a couple of chances early into the first-half.
The early moves made by Chirag United finally paid off in the 12th minute, when Jayanta found the net from close-in.
The one-goal deficit put pressure on Air India who looked for an equaliser. In the 26th minute, Nabeel's relentless effort paid fruit when he utilised Soccor Velho's cross to head home to cancel the deficit.
Three minutes before the break, Air India edged past Chirag and this time through their Nigerian import Opara. The Nigerian headed the ball in from a Ravinder Singh's cross from the left and help Air India go into the break with a 2-1 lead.
Rattled after conceding two goals, Bhattacharya brought in Arnab Mondal to partner Eduardo in the defence just ahead of the half-time.
But there were more miseries in store for the local outfit as they conceded one more goal at the change of ends, to concede a two-goal deficit. This time again, it was Opara who came to the party.
Opara scored his brace on a pass from Uttam Singh.
But the home side did not give up with Bhattacharya bringing on Gauranga in place of Lal Kamal Bhowmick in the 55th minute, a tactical substitution that paid dividends.
In the 67th minute, Chirag reduced the deficit when Gauranga made it 3-2.
Air India goalkeeper Arnab Das Sharma was deceived into leaving his position and stop an advancing Edmilson, a move that proved costly for the Airmen, as Gouranga took the opportunity to score United's second goal.
The goal brought United back into the game as Bhattacharya's boys equalised in the 75th minute when Joshimar's header found the back of the net.
Chirag tried hard to break the deadlock in the dying minutes but they failed to break past the strong Air India defence.
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