EB pip Gokulam to go top of table
Mohammed Rafique struck the winner as East Bengal beat Gokulam Kerala 1- 0 to climb to the top of the table in the ILeague football tournament in Kolkata on Wednesday.
East Bengal and Minerva FC are both on 13 points after six matches but the red and gold brigade are on top by virtue of a better goal difference.
Mahmoud Al- Amna’s corner was headed away by the Kerala defence but it went straight to an unmarked Rafique, who chested the ball down before firing it in with a drilling shot from outside the box as East Bengal won their fourth match on trot.
Having come here after their maiden I- League win in the last round, Gokulam suffered their third defeat of the season as they remain on eighth position with four points after five matches.
AIZAWL END MINERVA’S UNBEATEN RUN Defending champions Aizawl FC ended table- toppers Minerva Punjab FC’s five- match unbeaten streak in the tournament with a 2- 1 victory in Aizawl.
Kareem Omolaja ( 72nd minute) and Andrei Ionescu ( 85th) scored for the hosts while Girik Khosla ( 90+ 5 minutes) reduced the margin for Minerva, who stayed at 13 points after six matches.
Aizawl are sixth with seven points from four games.
The home side made four changes to their first eleven as David Lalrinmuana, Andrei Ionescu, William Lalnunfela and newlyrecruited Laldinliana started the game in place of Lalrinzuala, K Lalthathanga, Yugo Kobayashi and Lalbiakthanga.
David and Ionescu, alongside captain Alfred Jaryan, manned the midfield and William Lalnunfela played the lone striker upfront and Leonce Dodoz and Lalmuankima flanked from opposite sides of the pitch.
League leaders Minerva made no changes to their team.
Aizawl were enterprising in the initial exchanges, pegging back Minerva in their own half.
David, Ionescu and Alfred dominated the midfield couldn’t find a way past Minerva’s defence line.