East Bengal 2-1 Hyderabad FC: Player ratings for the Nawabs as they go down in the dying stages

East Bengal edged Hyderabad FC out by the narrowest of margins, thanks to a stunning Cleiton Silva free kick in stoppage time at the Salt Lake Stadium in the ISL on Saturday.

Carles Cuadrat's side managed to create a difference owing to their superior dead ball skills yet again and the Nawabs had little in response to that. This was the Torchbearers' first win over Hyderabad.

Silva's strike to the left-hand corner of the net was virtually unstoppable even as keeper Anuj Kumar tried his best to parry it away. The Brazilian had earlier brought the Torchbearers level after Hitesh Sharma gave Hyderabad the lead in the eighth minute.

The Yellow and Blacks can be extremely proud of this performance despite ending up on the losing side. They virtually led the game for most part despite not having too many attempts on goal.

The fact that they managed to hold a resurgent East Bengal to a 1-1 score for the regulation 90 minutes without two of their stalwarts in defence, goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh and central defender Chinglensana Singh, will be enough to boost their confidence.

It was only in the dying stages of the game that they conceded, and that too to a phenomenon of absolute beauty from a magician called Cleiton Silva.

Player ratings for Hyderabad FC

In this article, we take a look at the player's ratings of the Nawabs in their game against East Bengal:

Laxmikant Kattimani (NA)

The less that is said about Laxmikant Kattimani, the better. The veteran goalkeeper, who was making his long-due comeback from the ACL tear he suffered against Jamshedpur FC last season, had to walk off the pitch with a swollen eye after Cleiton Silva's knee clattered into him. It seems unfair to give him a rating.

Manoj Mohammed (6/10)

Manoj Mohammed's pace was a little off today, and one could see Mohammad Yasir from the other end screaming for more crosses into the box. The Jalpaiguri-born fullback will only get better with time.

Joao Victor (6/10)

The weakest link in Hyderabad's defence today, Joao Victor will welcome the arrival of Chinglensana Singh for the Nawabs' trip to Jamshedpur on 5 October. He will want to go back to play in his usual role as the holding midfielder where he will not have to worry as much about positioning and man-marking as much or head crosses away.

Nim Dorjee Tamang (7/10)

A lot was expected of the usually reliable Nim Dorjee Tamang in the heart of Hyderabad's defence today, but his positioning often drew critique. He was beaten by the pace of the ball on quite a few occasions and will look to work on this in the future.

Nikhil Poojary (8.5/10)

By far the brightest Hyderabad defender in show, Nikhil Poojary went up and down the pitch like a spinning top. Whether it was crossing the ball or running back to prevent crosses from going into his own half, the India international showed why he is so highly rated.

Hitesh Sharma (8/10)

Hitesh Sharma will be overjoyed by the fact that he managed to get on the scoresheet in the first game of the season for Hyderabad. The Punjabi 'Iniesta' put in a hard shift playing as the defensive midfielder shielding the rest of the Nawabs' defence. His workrate was extremely impressive.

Sahil Tavora (7/10)

Sahil Tavora's man-marking skills seemed to be a tad off, but he more than made up for this with his passing. Known usually for his capability to change the direction of play, Tavora did well enough without the ball today.

However, being lion-hearted that he is, the Goan also ensured that not a lot of direct attacks were made via the Hyderabad defence.

Joe Knowles (7.5/10)

Although Joe Knowles seemed to be a tad off the pace in the first half, he more than made up for it in the second. He was of course, responsible for the pass that got Hitesh Sharma through on goal in the first.

A stunning shot from long-range of Knowles' seemed destined to find the corner of the net, but it was saved well by Gill later on in the game.

Petteri Pennanen (8/10)

Playing in a variety of positions throughout the game, first as CAM, then as CM and sometime later as CB until Oswaldo Alanis came on, Petteri Pennanen impressed mightily on his Hyderabad debut. His corner-taking skills were duly noted by the Yellow and Black faithful.

Mohammad Yasir (9/10)

Mohammad Yasir was, without doubt, the best player for Hyderabad on the pitch today. His work rate was tremendous, as was his ability to pass the ball and find the gaps amidst the East Bengal defence. Hyderabad will feel extremely confident if his form continues this way.

Felipe Amorim (7.5/10)

A lot was expected of Brazilian Felipe Amorim on his Hyderabad debut, and he did not disappoint. Although he will know that he lacked the finished product on a lot of occasions, he was responsible for a lot of the link-up play that Hyderabad created.

SUBSTITUTES:

Anuj Kumar (7/10)

Anuj Kumar came on for Laxmikant Kattimani late in the first half, just as he had done for the same man against Jamshedpur FC last season. The 25-year-old was brilliant between the goalposts and rarely made any error of judgement. Essentially the third-choice keeper at the club now, his handling was top-notch too.

Aaren D'Silva (7/10)

Coming on as the substitute for Hitesh Sharma to add some firepower to the Hyderabad attack, Aaren D'Silva had the chance to seal a point for his side in the dying stages of the game, but he managed to hit a full-blooded shot straight to Gill. However, his confident on the ball was noteworthy.

Vignesh Dakshinamurthy (7/10)

Vignesh Dakshinamurthy's presence, drive and pace on the ball added a lot of impetus to Hyderabad after he came off the bench, making the faithful wonder as to why Manoj Mohammed was preferred as the starter at left-back instead.

Oswaldo Alanis (NA)

Oswaldo Alanis, one of the big-profile signings made by Hyderabad earlier in the season, did not get to do too much with the ball after he came on. He will hope to start games later on in the season once Chinglensana Singh returns from India duty.