Calcutta Football League 2018: The two goals conceded by East Bengal were suicidal, says coach Bastab Roy

Mohammedan Sporting Club registered a memorable 2-1 victory over an unimpressive East Bengal Football Club on a rain-soaked evening at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday. Johny Acosta’s 12th-minute strike was canceled by Philip Adjah in the 87th coincidentally due to a foul committed by the Costa Rican World Cupper.

Adjah completed his brace in the dying minutes of the game to seal the deal. Both the teams are out of the championship race and a win for Mohun Bagan will be enough to claim the Calcutta Football League for the first time since 2009.

“There’s nothing left for us now (CFL 2018). We played disastrously in the second half, my entire team collapsed. We committed miss passes, but I do not want to give excuses now, it’s a part of the game,” said East Bengal coach Bastab Roy at the post-match press conference. Two late goals were suicidal according to him and 2018 World Cupper cannot be blamed for the loss.

Bastab added, “In the first half, we created chances and even scored a goal, we could have scored a few more, but it did not happen. In the second half, two of Mohammedan’s shots hit the post, so it was unfortunate for them and us on either side of the first and the second half. We failed to convert them, so it did not count. Eventually, we lost the game 1-2, the goals we conceded were ‘suicide.’"

Costa Rican stopper Johnny Acosta found the target with a gentle strike after the ball was perfectly placed for him in front of the Mohammedan goal in the 12th minute. Lalrozama Fanai’s corner was headed by Laldanmawia towards the target, the goalkeeper managed to avert the danger initially but Acosta netted the loose ball to score his second goal of the season.

Trailing by a goal, Mohammedan Sporting Club went all guns blazing in the second half. After a dominant spell of plat from Raghu Nandy’s boys, they finally found an opening in the 55th minute, but one of their players failed to capitalise and score from handshaking distance of the target.

A somewhat disappointing display from the red and gold brigade in the second half allowed Mohammedan Sporting to create more chances up front but their finishing let them down. Philip Adjah scored the equaliser in the 87th minute and followed it up with another to grab three points for his team!