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Bengaluru FC finished their 2021-22 Indian Super League season on a high with a resilient 1-0 victory against SC East Bengal on Saturday. Sunil Chhetri's beautifully worked first-half goal turned out to be the eventual winner in an otherwise cagey affair.
The victory puts Bengaluru FC sixth in the points table, with a total of 29 points. The Kolkata-based team concluded the season with only one win in 20 matches, putting them at the bottom of the points table.
SC East Bengal started the game on the front foot and looked to hit Bengaluru FC on the break. Antonio Perosevic was arguably SC East Bengal's liveliest player on the pitch. In the 22nd minute, the Croatian was presented with a glorious opportunity to put the Torchbearers ahead.
Perosevic set off in a one-on-one situation but his low shot was saved by in-form BFC keeper Lara Sharma. That save shifted the momentum of the game and the Blues struck almost immediately.
In the 24th minute, Chhetri brought down a long pass from Yaya Banana and glided past a defender to calmly tuck the ball home. The BFC skipper's fourth goal of the 2021-22 season eventually went on to decide the game.
After taking the early lead, Bengaluru were on the prowl for a second and Udanta Singh struck the crossbar at the half-hour mark. Meanwhile, Perosevic yet again squandered a glorious opportunity four minutes before the break. The Croatian forward delayed his shot and Roshan Naorem stepped in with a timely tackle.
Bengaluru FC finish the season on a high with a victory against SC East Bengal
In the first half itself, the game saw three players going down with knocks and requiring a substitution. Udanta Singh and Ajay Chhetri for the Blues and Perosevic for the Red & Gold Brigade.
Coming out after the break, both teams exchanged spurring blows without either of them affecting the scoreline. However, in the 58th minute, SC East Bengal had a close opportunity to equalize as Mahesh Naorem Singh forced a fine save from Sharma.
SCEB continued to create half chances but substitute Marcelo Ribeiro lacked the quality to convert any of them. The Brazilian forward slashed three shots wide from formidable positions. The Red & Gold Brigade's hunt for an equalizer continued till the final whistle. But Alan Costa and Yaya Banana’s center-back pairing was indestructible on the night.
