Durand Cup 2023: Late equaliser from Nandhakumar moves East Bengal into the final through penalties

By
Jayujyoti Mullick
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Semi-Final 1 played between East Bengal FC (Red & Yellow) and North East United FC (White) at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in the The Durand Cup (Durand Media)

Kolkata: Emami East Bengal (EEB), who had trailed NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) 2-2 after 90 minutes of play, won the first semi-final 5-3 on penalties to go to the Durand Cup final. The red and golds stunned the host team at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) with two strikes on each side of each half before scoring late in the game and once more in extra time to force a penalty shootout. While EEB scored all five goals to go to yet another Cup final, Parthib Gogoi missed his penalty despite having two chances.

 

At the quarter-hour mark, a Pardo attempt from distance was the first shot from the home team, but Mirshad, the Highlanders custodian, was up to the challenge and forced a full-length diving save.
So did the Highlanders respond. Elsey cleared away a corner that Phalguni Singh had taken, but Tondomba managed to bring it right back to him. A controlled cross into the box caused centre back Miguel to dive in front of the six-yard box and deflect a header away from Prabhsukan Gill’s full stretch and into the EEB goal.

Cuadrat wasted no time in replacing Pardo and Nishu at the start of the second half with Borja and Souvik after the Highlanders gained the lead. The Highlanders also made their first substitution five minutes into the half, replacing Nestor with Brazilian Ibson De Melo.

Mahesh and Mandar were responsible for the most of the excursions from the left wing, and EEB were initially the more penetrating team. However, the Highlanders once more scored, and this time it was Phalguni who did it all by himself.

The EEB defence only managed to get the ball as far as Tondomba in the centre of the pitch from a free kick that Phalguni had himself taken before passing it back to Phalguni on the right side. The little winger manoeuvred inside and outside to go past Gill, who was defeated on the dive twice, before executing a perfect finish with his left.

At the hour mark, Cuadrat switched to full-attack mode, replacing defenders Khabra and Elsey with Cleiton Silva and Gursimrat. Benali also made a double substitution, benching Phalguni and Manvir in favour of Thoi Singh and Gani Nigam.

EEB then got a goal back with just over 10 minutes to go in the game, when Naorem Mahesh Singh’s shot on target from inside the Highlanders’ box, took a deflection off Dinesh Singh to wrong-foot Mirshad and go in.

EEB scored from the next free-kick immediately after Miguel was dismissed for a second infraction that may have resulted in a booking in extra time. Borja received it and attempted to head it towards Siverio on the right side of the goal, but Mirshad blocked his attempt, and it landed for Cleiton Silva on the opposite side. When Nandhakumar received the cross from the Brazilian, he headed it effectively enough to defeat Mirshad. It was time for the tournament’s first penalty shootout in history.

Both Cleiton and his fellow countryman Ibson scored from the first penalty kick for the Highlanders. For the visitors, Gani and Crespo both calmly converted EEB’s second from the spot. Borja was next for the red and golds and even he converted but Parthib Gogoi then missed twice. First, after Gill had saved his shot and then a second-time he hit the bar, when he got another chance after Gill was adjudged to have crossed the goal line before Parthib’s first shot.

With their fourth, Mahesh continued EEB’s 100% conversion rate, and Pragyan Gogoi also converted, leaving Nandhakumar to convert the fifth in order to advance to a record-breaking 27th final, which he dutifully did.

Carles Cuadrat, seemed happy and said, “It’s pre-season. We have played five tough games so fresh legs needed to be introduced. But you all saw how we ended the game and I am happy with the result. We are going to miss Souvik Chakraborty in the final match due to his second yellow card today. But today we show never say die attitude. This East Bengal is a changed East Bengal. In today’s match we believed that we can do and yes we proved that by winning the match. I am prepared for the final now. I am happy for the Club as they reached the final after 19 years. So now it’s just one final and again after a long time EB is in the final and I am happy for it.”

Emami East Bengal FC– 2

Mahesh 77’ Nandhakumar 90+7’

NorthEast United FC- 2

Miguel Tome 22’ Phalguni Singh 57’

Penalty Shoot-out

Emami East Bengal – 5 (Cleiton, Crespo, Borja, Mahesh, Nandhakumar)

NorthEast United FC- 3 (Ibson, Gani, Pragyan)

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