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East Bengal earned a morale-boosting win against Neroca to remain in hunt for the elusive I-League title. The Red and Golds won by 2-1 against the Imphal-based side at the Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday.
Enrique Esqueda, who was introduced in the 2nd half, lived up to his reputation with two fine goals as East Bengal overcame an early scare to win the match.
Chencho Gyeltsen, who is fondly called Bhutanese Ronaldo for his style of play, scored as early as the 3rd minute of the match to put the visitors ahead in a crucial game.
East Bengal looked completely clueless in the first half as they failed to create enough chances thanks to a tight defending from Varney Kallon and former East Bengal player Eduardo Ferreira.
Finally the introduction of Esqueda in the 2nd half changed the complexion of the match as the Mexican scored two within a space of 20 minutes to win the game for his team.
East Bengal will, however, face their most difficult test when they face Real Kashmir in freezing conditions in Srinagar within three days' time.
But before that, let us analyse the reasons behind East Bengal’s comeback win:
#3 East Bengal’s perseverance earned them three points
Neroca had a dream start after scoring in the third minute through their new signing Chencho Gyeltsen. They had enough chances to make more damage. But the North-Eastern side surprisingly held back and concentrated more on their defence.
East Bengal, who usually create chances through short passes from the middle, failed to pose any danger due to the tight defending from Neroca players. Lalrindika Ralte, who controls the midfield, was off colour during the first half and lost concentration too many times. He made some tough challenges towards his opponents, one of which also earned him a booking.
The Red and Golds also made too many miss passes at crucial junctures to lose the ball easily to their opponents. As Jobby was tightly marked, there was a need for another striker who could inflict some damage.
They found the answer in Enrique Esqueda. East Bengal’s approach changed in the 2nd half. The introduction of Esqueda and Brandon made East Bengal look more threatening inside the opponent’s half. Jaime Santos kept on making dangerous runs into the box.
East Bengal should be given credit for their perseverance. Against a tough defence, East Bengal players waited patiently for a mistake by their opponent. Their wait ultimately proved correct as the Red and Golds earned three vital points.
#2 Chencho shines in his debut but fails to win the game for Neroca
It was his debut match for his new team Neroca FC after he was off-loaded by Bengaluru FC, but Chencho Gyeltsen had a point to prove. All it took was three minutes for the Bhutanese striker to show his talent and what he can offer to his team.
It was the third minute of the match and Chencho got a beautiful forward pass for Singham Subhash Singh with only East Bengal goalkeeper Rakshit Dagar to beat. But Chencho failed to take control of the ball and blew it over the bar.
But he made amends just few seconds later from the resulting corner. Dagar failed to grab Katsumi Yusa’s floating ball in the box. It fell on the feet of Lalrindika Ralte, who was completely out of position. Chencho, who was lurking nearby, just slotted the ball home calmly to open the scoring for Neroca.
He made life difficult for East Bengal defenders throughout the first half. His positioning was clever, kept cutting inside to make room for shots and did not fear defenders who were physically much stronger than him.
Chencho got limited opportunity during his short stay at Bengaluru, but he showed his talent for the club. However, he came out with a different approach with Neroca and proved he is here to stay.
But his efforts were not enough to save the match. He got limited opportunities in the 2nd half. Had he got more support from his teammates, he could’ve earned them at least a point.
#1 Esqueda shows his class with his second brace
It was December 8 last year when Enrique Esqueda broke his rib in the Gokulam Kerala FC match and returned to Spain for treatment. Much has happened since then. Rumours suggested that the Red and Golds would release the Mexican but coach Alejandro Menendez trusted his player and gave him time to recuperate.
Esqueda returned to the city before the Kolkata Derby and took the field against Mohun Bagan but did not make any contribution. However, he was needed very much against Neroca, more because Jobby Justin was tightly marked by Neroca defenders, as the visitors opted for an ultra-defensive approach.
The Mexican silenced his critics with a brace against Neroca. This is his 2nd brace against the same opposition, having scored twice in the first leg in Imphal.
Esqueda was introduced in the second half and made an impact few minutes later. In the 67th minute, Jaime Santos provided a pin-point cross into the Neroca box. Esqueda, who was standing unmarked, scored with a fine header to earn the much needed equaliser for his club.
As the match was approaching for a stalemate, Esqueda was at it again. This time, a cross was floated into the box by Samad Ali Mullick, which was slightly deflected off Ronaldo. Esqueda, who was standing at the perfect position, jumped over his marker to head the ball home.
