Xtra Time Web Desk : SC East Bengal on Friday put up an inspirational performance as they earned a hard fought draw against table toppers Chennaiyin FC in the Hero Indian Super League match at Tilak Maidan in Vasco. The match which was dominated by Chennaiyin FC in terms of ball possession, shots and chances created, was countered by a brilliant performance from the Red and Gold goalkeeper Suvam Sen.
SCEB went into the match on the back of two successive losses, while Chennaiyin FC looked to maintain a hundred percent win record in the on going ISL season.
It was Chennaiyan FC who dominated most of the attack in the opening minutes, keeping custodian Suvam Sen busy under the bar. At the stroke of 10 minutes, Suvam pulled off a double-save to keep SCEB in the game.
As the match progressed, SCEB grew more confident, with the midfield seeing more of the ball. The Red-and-Gold brigade earned three successive corners around the half-hour mark, but failed to convert them into goals.
The best chance of the first half fell to the team from the South, when Rahim Ali’s shot from close quarters was saved by a diving Suvam Sen.
The second half saw SEEB Coach Manuel Diaz introducing of Adil Khan and Raju Gaikwad at the start, bolstering the defence. Antonio Perosevic, who was benched today, came on at the one-hour mark in place of Darren Sidoel. The Croatian showed off some of his trademarked twists and turns, but also failed to break the deadlock.
SCEB’s best chance fell to substitute Raju Gaikwad. Dervisevic’s curling free kick found the head of an unmarked Raju with the whole goal to aim at, but the defender nodded the ball into the ground and bounced it over the goal.
Both teams will feel they missed out on the three points, but SCEB will be the happier of the two going into the dressing room, finally having kept a clean-sheet and the bagging of the Hero of the Match award by Hira Mondal, thanks to his stellar performance at left-back.
SCEB move up to ninth in the league with 2 points from 4 matches, while a point ensured Chennaiyan FC sit atop the league with 7 points from 3 matches.