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Indian Bank rode on a Stanley Festus strike to edge past Tollygunge Agragami 1-0 while Vasco Sports Club and Tata Football Academy played out a goalless draw in the opening group lague matches of the 108th IFA Shield football tournament in Kolkata on Thursday.
Nigerian striker Festus slotted home a right-footer in the 11th minute, following a headed flick from skipper Shabir Pasha, to score the winner for the Chennai bankmen in a Group A match that never rose to great heights.
The outing at the East Bengal ground, however, was marred by frayed tempers and both teams were reduced to ten men in the second session after referee A S Bharat Mopni gave marching orders to the bank's Mohammed Kaisar and Tollygunge's Sujit Neogy.
Kaisar, who came as a replacement for Ravi Babu, received his first yellow booking in the 47th minute for a foul on Mehtab Hussain, and had to leave the field in the 70th minute when he was again shown the card for another infringement on Sujoy Dutta.
Neogy got his first booking in the opening session before the refeee again flashed the yellow card at him for bringing down Festus in the second-half injury time.
The home side had a good chance to draw level but Sujoy Dutta's angular shot from inside the box in the 58th minute was punched out of harm's way by bank goalkeeper Felix Edward.
In the very next minute, Tollygunge launched another raid, but Akeem Abolanle failed to properly head in a Mehtab through.
Pushed into defending for most part of the second-half, the Chennai outfit attacked on the break in the 76th minute as Festus ran a solo, outwitted two defenders, but then his shot was blocked by Tollygunge custodian Arindam Ghosh.
Six minutes before the close, Tollygunge got another chance, but Sujoy Dutta's header off a Sandip Das cross sailed over.
In Group B, youngsters of the Tata Football Academy dominated the proceedings, particularly in the first-half and got several chances, but failed to break the deadlock.
Vasco, who looked in deep waters in the first session, gave a slightly improved display after the breather, but a shoddy midfield display and a porous defence proved their undoing.
TFA got three chances in the first-half, but an unmarked Vanlal Roha twice shot the ball into the hands of Vasco custodian Saji Joy, while Jehri Zirsanga missed an easy opportunity in the 25th minute.
Vasco came near scoring only once, but Nitin Pradhan's power-packed shot from the top of the box sailed past the post.