Lalrindika Ralte scored a brilliant goal to help East
Bengal beat Malaysian club Selangor FA 1-0 in the AFC Cup at the Salt
Lake Stadium here on Wednesday.
The match saw East
Bengal winning its first match after two seasons, which had seen the
city team losing nine and drawing three in the previous 12 engagements
(in 2011 and 2012).
The win came as a big relief for
the East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan, who called the outcome “lucky 13”.
Having been with the club for the past three seasons, the continental
contest was one area where Morgan could not find success.
The coach employed an offensive formation and muzzled the visitor’s intention of launching any counter move.
Morgan set a five-man midfield in a departure from the regular formation to get the Malaysian visitor under pressure.
East
Bengal got the first opportunity off a corner in the fifth minute but
Nigerian Edeh Chidi was unlucky seeing his header come off the
crosspiece.
East Bengal continued to put pressure on
the opponent but the goal remained elusive as its attackers faltered in
the striking zone.
Chidi, who impressed in a creative role with his deft runs, set Ralte with an assist in the 42nd minute.
The gutsy medio fired a rasping shot that went home despite a touch from Norazlan (1-0).
The
match was decided at this point as the visitor, which had a lone
opportunity in the 35th minute when its Liberian striker Francis Doe
squandered a good opportunity from close, went into a defensive shell
after the break.
The result:
East Bengal 1 (Lalrindika Ralte 42) bt Selangor FA 0.