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I-League: Mohun Bagan earn confidence boosting 2-0 win ahead of AFC CL qualifier, Bengaluru FC beat East Bengal to retain top spot

Norde struck in the 12th and 55th minute as the green and maroon brigade maintained their second position in the league table with 10 points from four games. Bengaluru FC are on top with 12 points from five matches.

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Action during the DSK Shivajians versus Mohun Bagan match on Saturday
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Haitian winger Sony Norde struck on either side of the break as defending champions Mohun Bagan cruised to a 2-0 victory over 10-man DSK Shivajians in a fourth round encounter of I-League football tournament in Pune on Saturday. While Sunil Chhetri led former champions Bengaluru FC to a 1-0 win over East Bengal at Vidyasagar Krirangan in Barasat (Kolkata) that consolidated their position atop the standings in the I-League.

Norde struck in the 12th and 55th minute as the green and maroon brigade maintained their second position in the league table with 10 points from four games. Bengaluru FC are on top with 12 points from five matches.

The win will also boost the confidence of Sanjoy Sen's boys as they stand on the cusp of history after becoming the first Indian football club to play a Stage II qualifying round match of the AFC Champions League against Chinese Club Shandong Luneng FC in Chinese city of Jinan on February 2. The team will be leaving for China on Sunday by an early morning flight from Pune.

The Mariners drew first blood in the 12th minute when Katsumi Yusa's low corner was flicked by Raju Gaekwad towards Norde, who showed his poaching skills by slotting past veteran goalkeeper Subrata Paul to give his team the lead. Paul, once India's number one goalkeeper, is the first Indian custodian, who has started wearing the headgear made popular by Czech legend and current Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Jeje Lalpeklhua came close to doubling his side's advantage in the 43rd minute of the contest, but his header was off target. At half-time, the scoreline read 1-0 in favour of the away side.

The decisive strike came in the 55th minute when Norde breached the Shivajians' defence to take a crack from the edge of the box that beat Paul to make it 2-0. If that wasn't bad enough, the home side were then down to 10 men as Lalhmangaihsaga Ralte got marching orders after receiving his second yellow card.

While Bengaluru FC, under pressure in the first-half when East Bengal missed a flurry of chances, turned it around with Chhetri's goal at the hour mark when he tapped the ball to the far post to register their first away win against the red-and-gold.

This was Bengaluru's fourth win from five matches as they went four points clear of East Bengal and Mumbai FC, against whom they had suffered their first defeat this season -- a 0-2 reverse in Mumbai on Wednesday. For East Bengal, this was also their first defeat of the season and a big blow for their title aspiration with two draws and one loss from five matches.

However, East Bengal dominated the proceedings in the first half but a resolute Bengaluru central defence in John Johnson and Curtis Osano along with Amrinder Singh thwarted each of their attempts. Ashley Westwood's move in replacing Lalthuammawia Ralte who had an off-day against Mumbai FC with Amrinder proved to be a masterstroke as the Atletico de Kolkata goalie saved at least two sure shot goals to be adjudged man-of-the-match. Just before Chhetri scored the winner, Amrinder denied Do Dong Hyun's powerful left-footed free kick from the edge of the box, and followed it up by saving Joaquim Abranches' strike on the rebound.

Biswajit Bhattacharya's wards tried their best for the equaliser with Dong breaching from the right on several occasions but every time the BFC wall was spot-on. East Bengal would surely lament their missed chances in the first-half as they looked a better team in the first period but failed to take the lead.

In the 17th minute, Abranches was found through by Mehtab Hossain but the Goan managed to shoot straight to Osano. From the resultant corner kick, East Bengal had three opportunities at the goal with Dong from the right, Ranty Martins from the middle and Bikash Jairu from the right but Bengaluru FC defence warded off all their attempts. At the half-hour mark, an outstretched Amrinder once again stood tall to deny a Ranti Martins strike.   
 

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