Own goal vs Gokulam hurts EB title hopes

EAST BENGAL REMAIN THIRD WITH 26 POINTS FROM 15 FIXTURES, THREE POINTS ADRIFT OF SECONDPLACED MINERVA PUNJAB FC (29 POINTS FROM 14 GAMES) AND FIVE OF LEAGUE LEADERS NEROCA FC (31)

KOZHIKODE: East Bengal’s title aspirations were dealt a body blow as Gokulam Kerala FC stunned them with a come-frombehind 2-1 win at the EMS Corporation Stadium on Saturday.

Yusa Katsumi (45+4 minutes) opened the scoring from the penalty spot for the away side but Kivi Zhimomi (51st) restored parity before an own goal by substitute Salam Ranjan Singh (87th) made matters worse for the Kolkata heavyweights.

Both captains, Arnab Mondal of East Bengal and Mohammed Irshad of Gokulam, were sent off in second-half added time.

Mondal picked up a second yellow for his lunge on Henry Kisseka while Irshad was given the marching orders for putting his arm on the face of East Bengal’s Lalramchullova.

East Bengal remain third with 26 points from 15 fixtures, three points adrift of second-placed Minerva Punjab FC (29 points from 14 games) and five of league leaders Neroca FC who have 31 from 16 matches and face Mohun Bagan in their last home fixture on Sunday. Gokulam moved to eighth spot with 16 points from 14 games.

CHENNAI WIN 3-1

COIMBATORE: Relegation-threatened Chennai City FC stunned Churchill Brothers 3-1 here on Saturday to leapfrog the Goan side and emerge out of the drop zone.

With a superior head-to-head record, Chennai City edged past Gokulam Kerala FC and Churchill Brothers to the seventh spot on the points table with all three sides tied at 16 points.