KOLKATA:
Mohammad Rafique scored a gem of a goal just before half-time to give
East Bengal
a 1-0 win over 10-man
Gokulam Kerala FC
on Wednesday and take them to the top of the I-League table.
Mahmoud Al Amna's corner kick from the right in the 44th minute saw a weak clearance by a Gokulam defender. Rafique, who was on the edge of the D, trapped the ball with his chest, allowed it to bounce before unleashing a sweetly-timed and perfectly placed volley which beat Gokulam goalkeeper Bilal Husain Khan all ends up.
Rafique's fine strike helped the red and golds notch up their fourth win on the trot as they leapfrogged
Minerva Punjab FC
to the top. Both have 13 points from six matches, but East Bengal are ahead on goal difference (+6 to Minerva's +4).
East Bengal enjoyed a numerical advantage for well over half an hour after Rohit Mirza was sent off in the 54th minute for kicking Katsumi Yusa when he had no chance of getting the ball.
Gokulam got an early jolt when their Syrian midfielder
Khaled Alsaleh
- who recovered in time to start - picked up an injury in the ninth minute and had to be substituted. Striker Stephane Bayi Kamo, the other doubtful starter, was also fit to play. The former
Mohun Bagan player gave a good account of himself as he applied pressure on the East Bengal backline. However, he was substituted early in the second session, much before his brother
Bazie Armand
was introduced by Jamil.
East Bengal had a chance to forge ahead in the 14th minute when a half-hearted clearance off a corner fell for Rafique and the latter's cleverly-taken lob was somehow tipped over the bar by Bilal.
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