Final Matches Of Week 17 See Bengal & Shillong With Victorys

East Bengal returned to winning ways in the I-League on Sunday as they imposed a 3-1 win on Minerva Punjab at Barasat Stadium.

The Red and Golds were having a run of bad luck after facing defeat in their previous four games, losing their manager Trevor Morgan and then losing his replacement Mridul Banerjee to a knee injury.

Wedson Anselme headed home his seventh goal of the campaign to give Bengal the lead in the 31st  minute that they carried through into the second half.

The second goal came from a penalty after Robin Singh drove a cross into the box and it touched Moinuddin Khan’s arm. Singh converted the penalty kick from the six-yard spot but not before Wedson and Robin had got into a tussle to take the penalty in the first place.

Later Wedson gifted the ball to Bikash Jairu who deposits it with his left foot to make it 3-0 in the 90th minute. However Krishna Pandit pulled one back in the 4th minute of extra time to prevent East Bengal from claiming a clean sheet in what was their last home game of the season.

During the other Sunday match Shillong Lajong held Mumbai FC to a 1-1 draw at Cooperage Stadium to hold onto fifth spot on the league table.

Mumbai had scored early in the 2nd minute of play through Victorino Fernandes’ powerful shot that left Vishal Kaith stunned, but after the early goal there were chances either end of the pitch but neither side could convert these to goals.

Yuta Kinowaki struck in injury time for Shillong Lajong to snatch the equaliser and take away one point. The Japanese midfielder had found some space on the edge of the box controlled it well to take a half volley shot towards the top left corner with no chance for the keeper to save.