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Finally getting the monkey off their back, East Bengal (EB) registered their first victory of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season against NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday, October 20.
The Kolkata Giants raced to a 3-1 victory as Cleiton Silva opened the scoring in the 11th minute.
While NEUFC looked to restore parity throughout the first half, it was the Red and Gold Brigade who scored the second of the night in the 52nd minute as Charalambos Kyriakou thumped in a stunning finish from outside the box. Jordan O'Doherty then added a third in the 84th minute.
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Meanwhile, it seemed like NorthEast United wouldn't trouble the scoreboard at all. But in the dying minutes of the game, Matt Derbyshire did manage to score a consolation goal, the Highlanders' first of the season.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for the game between NorthEast United FC and East Bengal.
NORTHEAST UNITED FC
Arindam Bhattacharja (GK) [5.0]
Made just a single save and leaked three goals.
Gurjinder Kumar [6.0]
Although attacking-wise he was completely blunt, Gurjinder held his own in the defensive department.
Michael Jakobsen [5.5]
It was a night to forget for the Danish international as he failed to make any significant defensive impact and couldn't step up at times of need.
Gaurav Bora [5.5]
Was part of the mix-up that led to the first goal. Didn't look comfortable in defense at any point.
Mohamed Irshad [4.0]
Gave the ball away in the build-up to the first goal and completely looked out of depth throughout his time on the pitch. Had to be subbed off midway through the first half.
Emanuel Lalchhanchhuaha [7.0]
He was one of the best players on the pitch for NEUFC. Thanks to him and Gaztanaga, the Highlanders controlled possession for the majority of the game but couldn't make use of it.
Jon Gaztanaga [6.5]
He missed a glorious opportunity to score but other than that the Spaniard didn't do much wrong on the night.
Romain Philippoteaux [6.0]
Looked lively as always in the initial exchanges but had to be taken off after suffering an injury in the 30th minute.
Rochharzela [6.5]
Throughout his time on the pitch, Rochharzela looked threatening. However, his teammates happened to squander those chances.
Jithin M.S [6.0]
The former Gokulam Kerala midfielder was wasteful in possession but was resilient to try and make things happen.
Matt Derbyshire [7]
Just before the half-time whistle, Derbyshire had an open net to aim at and restore parity for NorthEast. But the Englishman struck the crossbar with the goal gaping. It seemed like he wouldn't be able to find the back of the net, but in the 92nd minute, he scored a consolation goal for the home side.
SUBSTITUTES
Emil Benny [7.0]
Instantly made some positive impact after coming off the bench. Benny's shot in the dying moments of the first half was saved by Kamaljit to deny NEUFC a goal. He also grabbed an assist for their only goal.
Aaron Evans [6.0]
Replaced Irshad in the first half and did well to contain Naorem Mahesh down that flank.
Imran Khan [6.0]
The 27-year-old came on and looked lively. Played two key passes in a brief period and completed 82 percent of his passes.
Joe Zoherliana [6.5]
Didn't do much wrong after coming on as he controlled the tempo of the game in the middle of the park.
Sylvester Igboun [6.0]
Tried to take on defenders and make things happen, but it was too little too late to make any significant difference.
EAST BENGAL
Kamaljit Singh (GK) [7.0]
Kamaljit made some crucial saves throughout the game and didn't allow NEUFC to disturb the net until the dying moments of the game.
Lalchungnunga [7.0]
The 21-year-old looked like a seasoned campaigner tonight as he stepped in with 14 clearances, two blocked shots, and one tackle. He held his end brilliantly, even while the more experienced Ivan Gonzalez didn't have the best of outing.
Charis Kyriacou [8.0]
The Cyprus international, who is traditionally a full-back, started in central midfield and didn't have the greatest impact in the first half. But in the second, he scored a stunning goal from outside the box in the 52nd minute.
Ivan Gonzalez [6.0]
The Spaniard looked nervy at times. Even with the late goal that East Bengal conceded, Ivan could've done a lot better to cover Derbyshire.
Sarthak Golui [7.5]
Sarthak was another one of the better performers in the side. Looked defensively solid, making nine clearances, two blocked shots, one interception and three tackles.
Jerry Lalrinzuala [7.0]
The left-back was one of the best players on the pitch as he was solid defensively and delivered a couple of delicious crosses.
Jordan O’Doherty [7.5]
While the first half was a lot about defensive contributions, Jordan freed up a lot in the second 45. He scored the third goal for the visitors.
Thongkhosiem Haokip [6.5]
Could've had one of the goals of the season, but his backflick was ruled offside. However, throughout the game he showed great resilience and tenacity.
Naorem Singh [7.0]
In the lead-up to the first goal, he won the ball and then calmly set up Cleiton Silva. Naorem worked incredibly hard down the flanks and also chipped in with crucial defensive contributions.
Cleiton Silva [8.0]
The Brazilian forward expertly scored East Bengal's opening goal of the night. Cleiton had a deeper role and was a lot more involved with the build-up play. Definitely the Red and Gold Brigade's most potent attacking outlet.
Suhair VP [6]
The former NEUFC forward squandered two back-to-back opportunities early on in the second half. However, minutes later he bagged an assist for Kyriacou with a neat lay-off. But overall, he was wasteful throughout the night.
SUBSTITUTES
Tuhin Das [5.5]
Very minimal impact from the youngster after coming on in the second half. Lost the ball on a couple of occasions.
Alex Lima [6.5]
Played slightly over 10 minutes but registered an assist for Jordan O'Doherty's goal with a brilliant pass.
Mobashir Rahman [6.0]
Not the most positive impact, but he had very little time to settle down on the pitch.
Ankit Mukherjee [NA]
Didn't have an opportunity to make much of an impact.
Wahengbam Angousana [NA]
Came on too late to make any significant impact.
