Dudu’s strikes help EB keep I-League title hopes alive
: Adding style to substance, East Bengal kept alive the battle for the I-League swatting aside Chennai City FC 7-1; the competition’s biggest win of the season taking them to the second spot on 29 points from 16 games.
Dudu Omagbemi got four goals in a match that ended as a contest by the 32nd minute with Chennai City FC looking clueless in trying to cope with an attacking trio that also had Ansumana Kromah and Mahmoud Al-Amnah.
East Bengal will now hope for Minerva Punjab FC, who have lost two home games in a row and are also on 29 points, to have a serious attack of Monday blues when Aizawl FC come visiting. “After our 2-2 draw here, I had told my mates this team (Minerva) is finished. We are definitely in with a chance,” said Omagbemi.
East Bengal made four changes to the team that lost 1-2 to Gokulam Kerala FC and only one, Gurwinder Singh replacing the suspended Arnab Mondal, was forced. Coach Khalid Jamil also showed he was more flexible than usually given credit for, starting all five imports in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kromah adding width and Katsumi Yusa dropping deep to pair Cavin Lobo in front of the back four.
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After the teams shared halfchances, East Bengal took charge, showing the kind of poise and purpose that might have taken some of their fans by surprise. The massive banner critical of the officials’ functioning seemed out of place at Salt Lake stadium as East Bengal played further up the park than usual, used the flanks and also tried to attack through the middle.
It came together in the 20th minute when Brandon Vanlalremdika stopped Chennai City skipper Soosai Raj’s run and in a flash, East Bengal left-back Lalram Chullova found Al-Amnah. Twice, the Syrian, again the fountainhead of most attacks, was denied before his left-footer opened a gap between the teams.
The gap got more yawning three minutes later and again it involved Amnah and Chullova before the ball careened into goal off Chennai City FC defender Dharmaraj Ravanan.
A communication breakdown between central defender Veniamin Shumeiko and goalie Kabir T led to Omagbemi opening his account. Omagbemi netted again in the 49th and 56th minutes, the final deliveries coming from Al-Amnah and Kromah.
The Nigerian then swung his leg like a Ferris wheel and scored, off Yusa’s corner-kick, in the 60th.