Esqueda brace keeps East Bengal in hunt

KOLKATA: The blemish came in the third minute. But a resolute East Bengal kept pushing and scored twice in the second half through headers from substitute Enrique Esqueda to keep I-League title hopes alive and begin their sequence of four games in 11 days with a 2-1 win against Neroca FC. After 14 matches, East Bengal have 28 points, three more than Neroca who have played two rounds more.

Chencho Gyeltshen, last season’s nemesis for Kolkata giants when he turned out for Minerva Punjab FC, scored with a third minute tap-in after East Bengal goalie Rakshit Dagar gripped air while trying to intercept a Katsumi Yusa corner-kick, the match’s first. The ball fell to Lalrindika Ralte who couldn’t control and Gyeltshen, on loan from Bengaluru FC, stabbed home.

Rattled, East Bengal played further up the park but ran into a sea of bodies. A string of halfchances were all East Bengal managed. Antonio Dovale, Laldanmawia Ralte and Jobby Justin either couldn’t test Lalit Thapa in Neroca’s goal.

The story changed in the second half when the pressure of defending told on Neroca. East Bengal coach Alejandro Garcia brought on Esqueda in the 57th minute for Dovale and replaced Kamalpreet Singh with Samad Ali Mallick in the 64th.

Neroca’s central defenders Soares and Varney Kallon were out of position when Esqueda attacked a Colado delivery and flicked home in the 67th minute. Garcia’s substitutions were involved in the matchwinner in the 86th. Mallick overlapped and his assist was headed home by Esqueda who now has five goals despite missing over one month due to injury. East Bengal travel to Real Kashmir on Sunday.

NE UTD, DELHI DRAW

GUWAHATI: North East United and Delhi Dynamos FC played out a 1-1 draw in an Indian Super League match on Thursday. Fourth-placed North East now have 24 points from 15 matches while Delhi are at the eighth place with 12 points from as many matches.