East Bengal FC held to goalless draw by Odisha FC amid contentious refereeing decisions | ISL 2023-24

In another fixture enveloped in pure drama and controversial refereeing decisions, East Bengal FC had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Odisha FC. Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium, Kolkata hosted the Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Friday, December 22.

After exchanging blows for the entire game, the Torchbearers had two penalty shouts denied in the death and ended their year with three consecutive draws.

Underlining their pure superiority on paper, the Juggernauts kicked off the night with an inevitable intensity on the pitch. Isak Ralte was heavily involved in the build-up and had a couple of half-chances to test Prabhsukhan Singh Gill early on. But the home supporters, realizing the building pressure on their team, rallied behind East Bengal.

Right before the drinks break, Nandhakumar Sekar made a mazy run into the opposition box and posed the first real question for the Juggernauts' defense. But Amrinder was capable enough to deny the effort on the near post.

The game had started to fall into an expected pattern with Odisha controlling the proceedings and pinning down the hosts. East Bengal, meanwhile, relied on their sturdy defense and counter-attacking system to hit back.

Jerry Mawihmingthanga, in his signature fashion, wriggled around the opposition defense in the 34th minute. but despite creating the shooting angle, skied his effort. The Torchbearers failed to create any substantial threat in the final third but had all the reasons to pat their back for managing a stalemate at half-time.

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East Bengal FC's late charge spoilt by contentious refereeing decisions

The second phase of the match started with a bit of drama as East Bengal had a penalty shout early on but the referee waived it off. Cuadrat immediately turned his attention to the bench to revitalize the squad. Mohammed Rakip replaced Mandar Rao Desai, while Vishnu took the place of Nandhakumar.

Meanwhile, Odisha, unperturbed by the changes, continued to push forward relentlessly. Roy Krishna's vicious ball across the face of the goal in the 61st minute carved open the opposition's defense. But the East Bengal players breathed a sigh of relief as Jerry failed to reach the ball.

Meanwhile, Odisha brought on a few substitutes of their own to secure the three points, but both sides heavily lacked clinicality. Before the final whistle, there were five minutes of additional time to be played, but what it brought along was a truckload of drama.

The first incident unraveled when the ball hit Mourtada Fall's arm after deflecting off an Odisha defender in the 90th minute. Nathan Senthil, the match referee, in the face of the raging EBFC fans and players ruled against awarding a penalty. Javier Siverio and Lal Chungnunga were booked for complaining instead.

Moments later, the stadium erupted once again when Vishnu was brought down inside the box by an OFC defender. But the penalty shouts went unanswered yet again. Both decisions were contentious and the protests from the East Bengal players continued even after the final whistle. This eventually subjected the Torchbearers to their third consecutive goalless draw.

The draw doesn't help either team as Odisha maintain their fifth position and East Bengal stick to their seventh spot.