East Bengal’s return to continental football began with disappointment as they went down 3-2 to Iraq’s Al Shorta after letting a two-goal first-half contribution from David Lalhlansanga go to waste on Tuesday. The Kolkata club had the advantage at the break but conceded three times after half-time, allowing their opponents to snatch victory in the AFC Champions League Two, Asia’s second-tier club competition.
Lalhlansanga struck in the eighth minute and again just before half-time to give East Bengal the edge. However, Al Shorta responded through Ahmed Yahya, Hussein Al Saedi and Kingsley Kuku to turn the match around. Even after the Iraqi visitors were reduced to 10 men late in the game, East Bengal could not find a way back.
For the hosts, the defeat will sting given the position they had worked themselves into. They created opportunities to extend their advantage in the first half, but a decisive spell after the interval left them chasing the game.
LALHLANSANGA MAKES HIS MARK
East Bengal took the lead when Lalhlansanga received Hardik Bhatt’s pass from the right, turned towards goal and beat goalkeeper Jalal Hassan with a shot in the eighth minute.
Al Shorta did not take long to respond. Six minutes later, Ruben Ramrez delivered a looping ball from the right side of the box, and Yahya connected with a downward header that beat Prabhsukhan Singh to make it 1-1.
The contest opened up as East Bengal looked to restore their advantage. Hassan denied Lal Chungnunga with a one-handed save from a 35-yard attempt in the 21st minute and then stopped Lalhlansanga’s follow-up half-volley.
The goalkeeper was beaten again five minutes before the interval. After Hassan parried Daniel Ramirez’s free-kick, East Bengal captain Basim Rashid recovered the ball near the byline and back-heeled it into the path of Lalhlansanga. With the goal unguarded, the forward finished from close range to put East Bengal 2-1 ahead at half-time.
THREE GOALS CHANGE THE CONTEST
Al Shorta emerged from the break with renewed intent and were back on level terms within six minutes. Yahya worked his way down the left before sending the ball across the face of goal, allowing Al Saedi to tap in from close range.
The comeback was completed in the 53rd minute. Kuku powered a header towards goal from a corner, with the ball deflecting off Prabhsukhan’s arm before crossing the line to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.
East Bengal needed a response and began pressing for another equaliser. But Hassan proved difficult to beat, producing two more saves in quick succession in the 67th minute to keep out efforts from Edmund Lalrindika and Lalhlansanga.
RED CARD OFFERS LATE HOPE
Al Shorta were forced to finish the match with 10 players after Abdoul Moumouni received a second yellow card for a challenge on Jay Gupta in the 76th minute. The dismissal gave East Bengal a numerical advantage during the closing stages, but they failed to turn it into a goal.
There was further frustration for the visitors when Kuku found the net on the stroke of full-time, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
East Bengal continued to search for a late breakthrough, but Al Shorta held on to secure the win. Lalhlansanga’s double had put the hosts in a promising position, yet their defensive struggles after the break and failure to make the most of the extra player ultimately cost them.
The defeat leaves East Bengal with work to do as they continue their campaign in Asia’s second-tier club tournament, while Al Shorta take away three points after a determined second-half recovery.
– Ends
