Kolkata, July 4: East Bengal FC and Suruchi Sangha played out a 1-1 draw at the Naihati Bankimanjali Stadium on Friday evening. Suruchi Sangha equalised to hold East Bengal FC to a draw, as both teams shared the points.
With the kick-off on a rainy evening, Suruchi Sangha started with attacking intent and, within 17th minutes, created a goal-bound chance but missed narrowly. An inch-perfect cross came from the right flank, and Johny Kom attempted a shot from inside the six-yard box but missed by a whisker. In the 38th minute, from another effective attack, Suruchi Sangha created another chance. A cross came from the right flank into the box, Jay Baz attempted to strike the ball, but missed, and the goalkeeper collected it comfortably.
However, just before the half-time break, in the 45+2nd minute, East Bengal FC found the opener. From a quick counter-attack, Naseeb Rahman played a through pass to Guite Peka, who made a solo run. The goalkeeper came off his line in a one-on-one situation, but Guite cut past him and calmly slotted the ball into the net.
Early in the second half, East Bengal FC got another possible goal-scoring opportunity. In the 48th minute, from an attack, Aman CK dribbled past all the defenders and entered the box, but before he could attempt a shot towards the empty net, Ahmed Faiz intercepted and cleared the danger. But in the very next minute, with a quick counter-attack, Suruchi Sangha found the equaliser. From the right side of the box, Seijoseph Haokip delivered a cross, which the newly introduced substitute, Karmanya Banshal, calmly placed into the net.
From back-to-back attacks by Suruchi Sangha, in the 56th minute, Adiya Patra cleared the ball, punching it out of the box, but it fell to Dimple Bhagat, who attempted a long-range shot that struck the crossbar, bringing an end to Suruchi Sangha’s consecutive threats. In the 68th minute, Suruchi Sangha were reduced to ten men as Bablu Oraon received a red card for a reckless foul on Suman Dey. Despite being a man down for the final 22 minutes, Suruchi Sangha stood strong, defending well on both flanks while continuously launching counter-attacks and neutralising all of East Bengal’s threats.
As time passed, East Bengal FC’s game was affected by a lack of rhythm and frequent mispasses. Though they had one last promising chance in added time at 90+4th minute, they failed to convert it into a goal. From a corner, substitute Ajad Saheem played a short one-two with his teammate before delivering a cross from the right towards the unmarked far post. Substitute Bikram Pradhan attempted a shot but missed the opportunity to secure the lead for the Red and Gold Brigade.
Both teams had their moments, but neither could find the winner. Suruchi Sangha going down to ten men, stood strong , while East Bengal FC created chances but lacked the finishing touch. The match ended with both sides settling for a point.
East Bengal FC vs Suruchi Sangha CFL 2025 highlights
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