I-League 2017: Neroca FC v East Bengal, Player Ratings

NEROCA FC suffered a goal early in the first half and bounced back in style with continuous pressure for the entire 90 minutes henceforth and were finally awarded with the equalizer late in the second half.

The introduction of Nedo Turkovic did wonders for the home side and he proved to be an ever troubling man for the Mighty Red and Golds. The defensive play from the away side allowed Neroca to capitalise and piled up pressure.

Meanwhile, East Bengal started the match on a positive note with Katsumi giving East Bengal the lead after a clever play from Amna and Katsumi. The away side could not continue to pile pressure on the Home Side for long and was taken on for a ride for the remaining game.

East Bengal were extremely defensive in their approach and finally paid the price by conceding a goal in the closing moments of the game. East Bengal had their chances to extend their lead but did not manage to do so and paid the price.

East Bengal still lead the pack in the standings but there is still a long way to go. Let's have a look how Khalid's boys performed in the tough away fixture in Imphal.

NEROCA FC

With this, Neroca come up to third, leapfrogging Mohun Bagan by one point. Let's have a look how the Orange Brigade performed on Individual terms.

Lalit Thapa (8/10) : The experienced shot stopper was tested time-to-time in regular intervals but he was up to his stride to deny the away side time to time.

Govin Singh (8/10) : Govin was instrumental on tracking back during counter attacks by East Bengal and proved handy in swinging some crosses as well.

Tondonba (7.5/10) : He was quick in his approach and also was like a kid in the park with swift play on the ground.

Varney Kallon (9/10) : The towering defender troubled Katsumi on the right flank. His clearances and brave tackles made sure Neroca FC always recover back after throwing possession away cheaply.

Fabien Vorbe (7.5/10) : The Haitian combined well with Aryn and Chidi and was a good contestant to cancel out the presence of Bazie Armand in the midfield.

Israilov Akhlidin (7/10) : The Kyrgyzstani had an average outing as he was often outrun and outwitted by Eduardo in the first half.

Felix Chidi (8/10) : Chidi was a menace for East Bengal with his physicality and clever game reading ability. His instant outbursts and quick passing was a threat for East Bengal throughout the game.

Subhash Singh (8.5/10) : The Manipuri Stalwart had an amazing game as his continuous dribbling and crossing from the left flank tested the East Bengal defense at regular intervals.

Yumnam Gopi Singh (7.5/10) : Gopi did not have a good day on the pitch due to the ever present figure of Salam Ranjan Singh, who kept him in check.

Thangjam Saran Singh (7/10) : Little Shimmies and dummies were Saran's highlight for the day, as his dancing feet allowed the other Neroca forwards to form several overlaps with him.

Aryn Williams (7/10) : The Australian had a tough day with Eduardo and Bazie to deal with.

SUBSTITUTES

Nedo Turkovic (9/10) : The hero for Neroca certainly! Continuous pressing from him made the home side confident as the game went on and he was finally rewarded for it, with his curling attempt in the dying moments of the game clinching the all important equaliser for the home side.

Gouramangi Singh (7/10) : The veteran defender came on in the second half and did not have a very good game.

Ronald Singh (7/10) : The hero for the fans against Chennai City was subdued due to the presence of Laldanmawia Ralte and Lalramchullova Ralte on the left side.

East Bengal

Willis Plaza

Luis Barreto (7.5/10) : The veteran shot-stopper pulled off several impressive saves but could not keep Turkovic's curler to rescue all three points from Imphal.

Salam Ranjan Singh (8/10) : The sturdy Manipuri Man had a good game with effective tackles and clearances to ease out the pressure for the Red and Golds.

Eduardo Ferreira (9.5/10) : The Brazilian was like a rock at the back as he maintained his anomaly of coming better in the aerial battles. His physique and tackles troubled the Neroca forward line to pull off shots at goal. Ferreira was the main man of Khalid's defensive play today.

Lalramchullova (7.5/10) : The young right back was impactful throughout the game but could not carry on further after sustaining a cramp.

Arnab Mondal (8/10) : The captain came to East Bengal's rescue on several occasions throughout the game and closed in quickly to avoid further chaos in the East Bengal box.

Prakash Sarkar (N/A) : The youngster was quickly substituted for Rafique and did not have ample amount of time to prove his mettle.

Bazie Armand (7.5) : Armand was extremely physical in the game and was a cause of worry for the Neroca midfielders in the middle of the park.

Md. Al-Amna (8/10) : The Syrian was on song as usual but he missed two crucial chances in the second half to put East Bengal ahead. Amna's brilliant through balls kept the Neroca defenders in checks.

Katsumi Yusa (8.5/10) : The Japanese scored the all important opener for East Bengal and had immense pace throughout the match.

Laldanmawia Ralte (7.5/10) : The young Mizo striker made good use of Amna's delicious balls but could not apply the finish.

Willis Plaza (8/10) : The Trinidad and Tobago man piled on continuous off-the-ball pressure.

SUBSTITUTES

Md Rafique (7.5/10) : Rafique was tasked with a much defensive duty today and he cleared several dangerous looking balls away to safety.

Charles de Souza (3/10) : The Brazilian had a day to forget as usual as he did not have any impact on Neroca and was easily outwitted by the home side.

Surabuddin Mollick (N/A) : Came late and did not have much of a time to create any impact.