[caption id="attachment_12253" align="alignnone" width="580"]East Bengal lost to Lajong 1-0. Image Source: File Pic East Bengal lost to Lajong 1-0. Image Source: File Pic[/caption] Internet Desk: Elation, relief, esctacy and a hint of commiserations - these would have certainly been the emotions Thangboi Singto went through as the referee blew the final whistle at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Shillong as the Reds avoided the drop thanks to a 61st minute Isaac Vanmalsawma effort in a famous win over East Bengal. The socreline read 1-0 after 95 minutes of action. The result brought the home side all the way upto sixth in the table, whilst East Bengal, who had Trevor Morgan in charge of his first game back at the helm of the Kolkata club, finished third in the league table, after yet another insipid display. The in for the home team all but demoted fellow northeastern club Aizawl FC into the second tier of Indian football. The early exchanges in the game were dominated by the home side. Fabio Pena began his team's excursion into the opposition half with a quick-fire salvo at goal, which was saved comfortably by Rehenesh. The Brazilian was at the crux of matters again as his low cross from the left evaded all in the box, but brought about a dangerous collision between Lalmuanpuia, Rehenesh and a covering East Bengal defender. However, all of them seemed fine after treatment an the game resumed. Pena kept pressing the players in the box and found space down the left after a long ball form Shillong's half, in the 10th minute. However composure swerved past him again as is left footed shot sprawled clear of their visitors' left hand post. Just a minute before half-time Rehenesh saw himself bring about a stellar save as he denied Fabio at the near post. The teams however, found no way past their rival custodians as it ended 0-0 at the half-way mark. Action in the second half's opening stages were largely limited to substitutions by East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan. Sanju Pradhan and Mohammed Rafique were brought on for the largely ineffective Sabeeth and Samad Ali Mallick in attack. The Kerala-born custodian could have no answer to Lajong's attack in the 61st minute, as the home side took the lead through Isaac Vanmalsawma. The winger rushed down the left and collected a ball, driving into the box. Facing Mondal, he tried to drift in a low ball towards Pena, who arrived late into the box. The winger's tidy ball evaded Pena, but such was the timing, that Rehenesh was blinded by the attacker in front of him, as the ball squeezed past him, despite his best efforts into the bottom corner. That was the cue for Morgan to make his last and final substitution as Shylo Shylo Malswamtulunga as the rapacious Lajong crowd sensed a famous victory over their celebrated rivals as Aizawl FC were closing in on facing relegation. The hosts finished their I-League campaign on 18 points from their 16 matches, whilst East Bengal, in their first match under new coach Trevor Morgan, could only finish third in the league table, with 25 points, behind Mohun bagan and champions Bengaluru FC. At Cooperage in the Maharashtra derby, Mumbai FC thrashed DSK Shivajians 4-0.

I-League: Trevor Morgan's second stint as East Bengal coach begins with a loss