Sun, Nov 14 10 11:17 PM
Kolkata, Nov 14 (PTI) Federation Cup champions East Bengal today won the Platinum Jubilee Cup after a 6-5 win via tie-breaker against city rivals Mohun Bagan here. It was a sea-saw battle as the traditional rivals locked 3-3 in the regulation and extra time at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan here. The tournament was organised by Mohammedan Sporting Club to commemorate their first winning of the prestigious Calcutta Football League in 1934. This was East Bengal''s second victory over Mohun Bagan after their arch rivals beat them earlier in the Federation Cup semi-final. However, neither of the teams gave much importance to this invitation meet, evident from the fact that they did not field any of their foreign recruits today. East Bengal surged ahead by a left footer from Alvito D''Cunha off Sanju Pradhan into stoppage time of first half. But the green and maroon brigade leveled in the 53rd minute through Satish Kumar and took the lead through an Ashim Biswas header following a corner by Gauranga Dutta in the 66th minute. East Bengal restored parity in the 76th minute through Robin Singh''s header off a cross from substitute Biswajit Datta. The former TFA product and left winger Robin Singh gave his side the lead for the second time with his unusual right footer which beat veteran Bagan keeper Sangram Mukherjee in the 10th minute of the extra time. As East Bengal looked like emerging winners in the extra time, Mohun Bagan''s Harpreet Singh headed home from Snehashish Chakraborty''s free kick eight minutes from close forcing the tie-breaker. East Bengal coach James Trevor Morgan brought goalkeeper Jayanta Paul in place of Nashim Akhtar a few minutes before the end of extra time. Paul saved two penalty kicks of Souvik Chakraborty and Snehashish Chakraborty in the first two shots of Bagan before Gouranga Dutta shot wide. Sanju Pradhan, Robin Singh and Sushant Mathew scored for East Bengal. Sangram saved Ravinder Kumar''s shot while Biswajit Datta shot out. East Bengal left winger Robin Singh was adjudged man of the match.
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