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East Bengal emerged victorious against Churchill Brothers in an entertaining 3-2 win at the Barasat Stadium today. The Red and Gold brigade came into the match in scintillating form having beaten Shillong Lajong (5-1) in their last outing in the league and faced a rather depleted Churchill side who are still at the bottom of the table searching for their first points of the season.
It was the visitors who started the game on the front foot and they were rightfully rewarded for their continued efforts on goal in the 15th minute when Israil Gurung selflessly passed the ball to Peter Omuduemuke for the opening goal. East Bengal were quick to respond and pulled things back through Laldanmawia Ralte in the very next minute and Willis Plaza made it 2-1 shortly before halftime.
The second half witnessed even more drama as Nicholas Fernandes put Churchill back on equal terms in the 60th minute. East Bengal dominated the proceedings from there on but were consistently kept out by the heroics of James Kithan in the visitor's goal.
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However, Khalid Jamil's men were finally rewarded for their constant pressure in the dying moments of the game when Plaza headed home the winner in the 96th minute, to send the home fans into a delirium of noise. Here are the five key talking points from the game:
#5 East Bengal break the jinx
Before the ball was kicked at the Barasat stadium, East Bengal had never managed to beat Churchill Brothers at home since 2010 - a jinx stretching back to seven years when the sides met in the I-League.
The corresponding fixture last season also went Churchill's way and it almost seemed like history would repeat itself only for Plaza, an unlikely hero during the build-up to this game, to turn their fortunes.
However, East Bengal were made to work hard throughout the game and their patience was tested to the limits before they could snatch the three points, an effort Churchill can be really proud about.
#4 Results not doing justice to Churchill Brothers
Despite coming away with nothing from the game, Churchill Brothers have shown a lot of promise under new manager Alfred Fernandes. The former I-League champions have had a horrid start to the season and have lost all of their games in the league so far, a run which resulted in former coach Mykola Shevchenko getting sacked after the thumping by Mohun Bagan.
However, the newly appointed Fernandes has not had it easy by facing defending champions Aizawl FC and genuine title contenders East Bengal in his first two games in charge, both away from home. The performance from the club on these two occasions surprised a lot of people and they were extremely unlucky to come away with at least a point in both games.
The Churchill players can keep their head high and should take inspiration from their performance rather than the result when they take on Chennai City in their next game.
#3 Laldanmawia Ralte continues his goal-scoring form
The former Aizawl winger continued his goal-scoring form from the game against Lajong, in which he netted a brace, by getting on the score-sheet for East Bengal yet again. Ralte was a constant threat down the flanks for East Bengal and combined excellently with Plaza in the build-up to his side's first goal.
Ralte was actively involved in the attacks forged together by East Bengal as they tried to assert their dominance on the game and stood out from the rest of the pack on a few occasions.
Despite joining the club only in the summer, alongside Mahmoud Al Amna and Khalid Jamil from Aizawl, the winger has quickly managed to earn the plaudits at East Bengal and is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
#2 Plenty of positives to take away from the game for Churchill
Churchill Brothers succumbed to the pressure exerted on them by East Bengal towards the dying moments of the game but they will definitely be proud of their performance on the night.
Fernandes' side came into today's game in search of their first goal of the season as well as their first points and despite not being able to find the latter, they managed to achieve the former and that too in some fashion.
There has been a radical change in the outlook of the side ever since Fernandes took over from Shevchenko and it is assured that the results will soon follow. Performances from James and Kalu Ugbo definitely stood out and could act as the vital push that a club like Churchill need at the moment.
#1 Willis Plaza breaks his duck
The Trinidad and Tobago striker was at the receiving end of a lot of criticism in the build-up to this game due to his poor form in front of goal. On the wake of rumours surrounding his future at the club being in jeopardy, Plaza treated the fans at the Barasat Stadium with a match-winning performance for his side.
The striker released an inch-perfect pass to put Ralte through on goal for his side's equalizer while he grabbed a goal for himself towards the end of the first half to put his side in the lead. However, it seemed like his wasteful nature in front of goal was about to haunt the Red and Golds yet again but he rose the highest to head home the winner from a corner to send ripples through the crowd.
Nobody needed the goal more than Plaza at the moment and this performance will surely help him regain his confidence as East Bengal continue their bid for a maiden national league title.
