Super Cup: East Bengal win on penalties

Kolkata giants East Bengal Club won the 2011 Super Cup at the Ambedkar Stadium tonight with a 9-8 sudden death victory against rivals Salgaocar SC, who over the last half year have taken top spot in the I-League and Federation Cup ahead of them.

It was not the best of Super Cup's as East Bengal tried their luck in attack, while Salgaocar took a more wait-and-watch approach allowing their Kolkata rivals space in midfield to combine; but chances on both sides were few with Scotsman Alan Gow having the best of them for the red-and-gold while Japanese Ryuji Sueoka for the Goans. Unlike in the Federation Cup final the East Bengal defence held a tight leash on Chidi Edeh, which hampered the chances of Salgaocar who couldn't play their game.

After 90 minutes there was no extra-time with the match going straight into a penalty shootout and there the stalemate continued with East Bengal's Gurpreet Singh Sandhu first denying Jasmal Singh Parmar, while Karanjit Singh blocked Reisangmi Vashum's shot. The 10th penalty for Salgaocar was hit by Irungbam Khelemba Singh onto the post, while youngster Saikat Saha Roy scored for East Bengal.

Tolgay Ozbey, Allan Gow, Robin Singh, Sanju Pradhan, Sushant Mathew, Khantang Paite, Nirmal Chetri, Uga Opara and Saikat Saha Roy converted for East Bengal, while Chidi Edeh, Ryuji Sueoka, Rocus Lamare, Rahul Kumar, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Francis Fernandes, Luciano Sabrosa and Tomba Singh scored for Salgaocar.

Thereafter it was celebration time for East Bengal and their legion of fans at the not so well attended match. The Kolkata giants won their third Super Cup as the first Indian club and received the prize money of Rs 1 Million (10 lakhs).


MATCH STATS

Salgaocar SC 0-0 East Bengal Club [penalties] - Goals: -.

Salgaocar SC
1- Karanjit Singh; 2-Jaspal Singh Parmar, 4-Irungbam Khelemba Singh, 20-Luciano Sobrosa [C], 14-Biswajit Saha (23-Rahul Kumar); 30-Francis Fernandes, 25-Rocus Lamare, 7-W Tomba Singh (5-Mehrajuddin Wadoo), 15-Ishfaq Ahmed; 11-Ryuji Sueoka, 10-Chidi Edeh

East Bengal Club
30-Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, 33-Saikat Saha Roy, 4-Uga Okpara [C], 25-Robert Lalthlamuana (19-Ravinder Singh); 12-Reisangmi Vashum (15-Sanju Pradhan), 17-Sushant Matthew, 18-Penn Ikechukwu Orji (20-Tolgay Ozbey), 11-Khanthang Paite; 10-Alan Gow, 23-Robin Singh

Referee
Pratap Singh (Uttarakhand)