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East Bengal brought the I-League title race back to life with a 1-0 victory over Minerva Punjab in Panchkula, on Tuesday, after a Cavin Lobo wonder-goal put them ahead in the second half.
In a match where both the sides struggled, Khalid Jamil's side came out on top, to narrow down the gap at the top of the table to just three points between them and Minerva Punjab. As the title race heats up, let's take a look at some of the key talking points from the match.
When the pitch plays spoilsport
There has been a lot of talk about the pitch at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, ahead of the potential title decider. Neither of the two sides were allowed to train at the stadium on the eve of the match, as damp conditions in the tri-city of Chandigarh had taken its toll on the ground. While Minerva trained at their academy grounds, East Bengal kicked it around on the terrace of the team hotel.
There wasn't much improvement during the match either, as large damp spots were seen on the pitch, that severely affected the game. East Bengal, had the lion's share of possession in the opening exchanges, but often had to resort to long balls, as they could not play it around in that area.
Katsumi never walked alone...
Khalid Jamil decided to place Katsumi in the centre of the park to allow the Japanese medio to take control of the game. While the Red and Golds did manage to keep the lion's share of the ball in the opening exchanges, Katsumi found the going hard.
The playmaker, who had moved to East Bengal from rival club Mohun Bagan at the start of the season, however, was not allowed an inch of space by the Minerva player. He often found himself marked by multiple defenders, as he tried to create space for his teammates. By comparison, Al Amna was allowed a lot more time on the ball.
No penalties from this referee!
Refereeing decisions have been the talk of the season so far -- be it in the I-League or the ISL. East Bengal had even asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to appoint a foreign referee for the match, which was billed as a potential title-decider. That wish was not granted.
Both the sides had a few decent shouts for penalties in this game. However, just like East Bengal's unusual request, these were not granted.
The Red and Golds had the first of their shouts turned down, after their former man Bazzou Armand seemingly brought down Ansumana Kromah inside the box. It seemed like a 50-50 decision, though, and one could justify the referee not awarding the spot kick.
Khalid Jamil's side could consider themselves a tad unlucky, as they had a second penalty appeal turned down in the second half, when Eric Dano handled a Katsumi cross inside the Minerva box. Although it seemed to be unintentional, one could argue that it changed the direction of the cross, which could have resulted in a dangerous chance for the Kolkata side.
Yet another penalty shout was turned down late in the game, when Katsumi seemingly handled a William Opoku cross inside the East Bengal area. A number of Minerva players swarmed referee Ajitkumar Meitei Lairenlakpam, demanding a penalty, but the official seemed resolute not to award on in this game.
A Cavin Lobo special wins it for East Bengal
In an otherwise drab game, East Bengal midfielders Al Amna and Cavin Lobo combined to come up with a moment of magic. The Syrian latched on to a loose ball at the edge of the Minerva penalty area, and played a delicious back-heel layoff to Lobo, who took one touch before driving it into the top corner.
Minerva, who had come out with the intention of playing for a draw in this game looked shell-shocked after the goal. This win breathes some life into the I-League title race once again, as the Red and Golds are now just three points behind Minerva, with just four matches to go. The I-League seems to be nearing a grandstand finish once again!
A golden chance missed against the Red and Golds
While Minerva's Bhutanese talisman Chencho Gyeltshen was relatively quiet during the game, he came alive in the late exchanges, as he soared up the left flank, entered the East Bengal box, and crossed it into the East Bengal box for William Opoku, who was completely unmarked inside the six-yard box.
However, the Ghanaian player made a complete hash of the chance, as he got a feeble header onto the ball, that rolled wide of the far post. This was Minerva's golden chance to draw level in the match, and maintain their six-point lead in the league. However, that was not to be, and it seems like the league is now heading for a nail-biting finish once again.
