Kalyani, July 12 – East Bengal were once again held to a frustrating draw in the Calcutta Football League 2025, this time by Customs SC, following their earlier draw against Suruchi Sangha. The match, held at the Kalyani Stadium on Saturday, ended 2-2 despite a spirited comeback by the Red and Gold Brigade after trailing by two goals.

Customs took a surprising 2-0 lead within the first 22 minutes of the match. The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when East Bengal defender Chaku Mandi brought down Sumoy Som inside the box. Shlok Tiwari calmly converted from the spot to give Customs the lead. Just five minutes later, Saurav Sen doubled the advantage, finishing off a brilliant pass from Ricky Gharami.

The early double blow rattled East Bengal, disrupting their rhythm. Despite dominating the initial 15 minutes and missing three golden chances through Sanjib Ghosh, Guite, and Joseph Justin, they found themselves trailing unexpectedly. Coach Bino George reacted quickly, bringing on Jaison TK in place of Guite to regain midfield control.

East Bengal made four changes to the starting lineup from their previous game, including a new defensive pairing of Chaku Mandi and Prabhat Lakra. However, the lack of coordination in the backline gave Customs the space they needed to exploit and build their lead.

At halftime, East Bengal made more changes – Kush Chetri was replaced by Sayan Bandyopadhyay, Aman CK by Roshal, and later Roshal by Mohammad Ashiq – as the team pushed to turn the tide.

Their efforts bore fruit in the second half. In the 61st minute, Jaison TK floated in a cross from the right, which was headed in by Anantu to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Ten minutes later, East Bengal were level, thanks to a fine strike by Prabhat Lakra, who latched onto a pass from Naseem.

Despite drawing level, East Bengal missed several opportunities to seal the win. Jaison TK, Prabhat Lakra, and Aman CK were all guilty of spurning chances that could have given East Bengal all three points.

With two draws in their first three matches, East Bengal are yet to hit their stride this season. Last year’s dominance now seems a distant memory. Coach Bino George acknowledged the team’s wastefulness in front of goal, saying, “We paid the price for missing too many chances. But when we fall behind, the hunger to prove ourselves only increases — especially before the derby.”

East Bengal now face Pathachakra on Tuesday, ahead of the much-anticipated Kolkata Derby. As pressure mounts, the Red and Gold’s inability to convert chances into wins could become a growing concern for the coaching staff.

On the other hand, Customs SC head coach Biswajit Bhattacharya expressed disappointment after the match, stating, “We let a certain win slip away.”

The result leaves East Bengal with just five points from three matches — and more questions than answers as they prepare for the biggest clash of the season.