Depleted EB take on Arrows

Calcutta: A depleted Kingfisher East Bengal side will have their task cut out when they take on a resurgent Pailan Arrows in the IFA Shield semi-final at the Salt Lake Stadium, on Tuesday.

The red and gold brigade will be without strikers Tolgay Ozebe and Robin Singh, while midfielder Sushant Mathew and defenders Robert Lalthlamuana, Naoba Singh and Saikat Saha Roy are unfit. Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is also likely to miss the action because of personal issues.

To make matters worse, Mehtab Hossain is ruled with a groin injury and several players are busy doing national duty.

Coach Trevor James Morgan, however, sounded optimistic about his team’s chances on the eve of their semi-final.

“Injuries are part and parcel of the game. We cannot do anything about it ,” Morgan said.

Tolgay,, who is nursing a a calf-muscle injury, is likely to be out for two weeks . The Australian recruit, however, said that he might play a part in the game if needed. That Sushant and Saikat may still play, underlines the sticky situation Morgan finds himself in.

East Bengal are likely to start with strikers Baljit Sahni and Seiminlen Doungel. Sanju Pradhan, Penn Orji and Khantang Paite will man the midfield while Sushant Mathew will operate down the left-wing.

EB fans see red and go on a rampage

Calcutta: Kingfisher East Bengal fans went berserk after their team’s 0-1 loss to Prayag United, at the Salt Lake Stadium, on Tuesday. ‘Disappointed’ over not being able to vandalise the swanky team bus, the crowd vented their ire on the exhibition venue that was on inside the stadium complex.

They broke the flower pots, hurled whatever they could lay their hands on, as the delegates and private securitymen scurried for cover.

The crowd was obviously upset by the way East Bengal conceded the goal in injury-time and waited for ‘villain’ Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Gurpreet though got coach Trevor James Morgan’s backing at the post-match media conference. “I take full responsibility for the bungle. I asked him to move upfront. But strangely no defender saw Gurpreet moving up.

“I screamed and screamed but they never bothered to listen. Our defenders should have been there to thwart Vincent.

“They are saying that they never saw Gurpreet moving up. How can you miss someone who is seven feet tall?” Morgan said.

Morgan said his defenders were playing “Sunday football”. “It was shambolic defending. My defenders were playing Sunday football. It’s frustrating.”

Morgan said he would persist with Gurpreet. “Why not? He will play against Mohun Bagan on Saturday” he shot back.

Prayag United coach Shankar Sen praised his team’s discipline and never-say-die attitude.

“Hats off to my players. They played splendidly. We are back in the reckoning for the title, Sen said.

“Our strength is our reserve bench. Monday morning we came to know Denson (Devadas) and Arnab (Mondal) would not be available.

“But I had faith in my reserve bench. And look how (Mohammed) Rafique and others performed.”

And man of the moment Kayne Vincent was over the moon. “Most memorable goal of my career. Never ran 90 yards and scored a goal. I think I was lucky today,” Vincent said.

He added that first thing that came to his mind after he got the ball was never to lose it.

“I told myself ‘I am not going to lose this ball… Come what may. Had I missed this goal, I do not know what I would have done to myself.”

EB drub Arrows

Calcutta: Kingfisher East Bengal defeated Pailan Arrows 4-1 in an eventful I-League match at the Salt Lake Stadium, on Tuesday, to move to the top of the standings.

With this win, East Bengal lead the I-League table with 30 points from 15 matches while Dempo drop to second spot with the same number of points, having played a game less. Arrows, meanwhile, stay second from the bottom with seven points from 14 matches.

In a match dominated by the red and gold brigade, the AIFF developmental side were made to look ordinary as Tolgay Ozebe’s brace, and a goal each from Penn Orji and left back Robert Lalthlamuana ensured that Trevor Morgan’s men are well on the road to recovery.

The first goal came in the 27th minute when Penn found himself at the right place at the right time, heading in, on the rebound, after Sanju Pradhan’s shot was punched straight to him by the goalkeeper, Naveen Kumar. The move began when Sanju was released after a clever one-two with Man-of-the-Match Tolgay.

Three minutes later, goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s clearance found Tolgay, who, after a quick one-two with Penn, scored the second for East Bengal.

Morgan’s men turned on the style in the second half to stamp their authority on the game.

In the 57th minute, however, Lalthlamuana, who impressed with his blistering pace down the left flank, scored from an audacious angle off a Penn pass.

Down 0-3, Arrows continued to press forward and were rewarded for their efforts just at the stroke of the hour mark, when Prathmesh Maulingkar’s header off a Prabir Das corner found the net.

And then came the theatricality!

In the 76th minute, Tolgay scored from an improvised header, after goalkeeper Kumar collided with Gurtej Singh (Sr.) to leave the Australian with an open goal. Tolgay stopped the ball just before the goalline and headed the ball in, much to the delight of the fans.

The goal, however, drew slack from both the coaches, with Morgan substituting him immediately after. The substitute, however, was none other than Edmilson Marques, who returned in East Bengal colours after more than two years.

In the 90th minute, the Brazilian almost turned the provider, when his cross from the left flank was hit with blistering force by Sanju only to miss the goal by a whisker.

Teams

East Bengal: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Harmanjyot Singh Khabra, Robert Lalthlamuana, Gurwinder Singh, Uga Okpara, Sanju Pradhan, Khantang Paite, Mehtab Hossain (Subodh Kumar 79), Reisangmi Vashum (Sushanth Mathew 63), Penn Orji, Tolgay Ozebe(Edmilson Marques 79).

Pailan Arrows: Naveen Kumar, Rajiv Ghosh, Calrozama Fanai, Gurtej Singh (Sr.), Prathmesh Maulingkar, Prabir Das, Kh. Jibon Singh, Gurtej Singh (Jr.) (Loukik Dilip Jadhav 70), Bikramjit Singh (Milan Singh 70), C.S. Sabeeth, Bijendra Rai.

Referee: SS Panda

MoM: Tolgay Ozebe

Park plan for waterbodies

KOLKATA: Waterbodies and ponds in Duttabad, the area stretching from Ultadanga to Salt Lake stadium off EM Bypass, are set to don a new look will soon get a makeover. The water bodies and ponds in Duttabad, stretching from Ultadanga to Salt Lake stadium off EM Bypass, are in for a complete makeover.

State urban development minister Firhad Hakim recently visited the area and said the waterbodies will be beautified and developed into nature parks.

Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) is set to come up with a blueprint to turn these waterbodies, spanning over 40 acres, of the 85 acre wide Duttabad area into nature parks for recreational activities. where people can spend quality recreational time.

Besides a complete makeover of the waterbodies, there are plans to beautify the entire area and develop parks and gardens adjacent to waterbodies. A survey will be conducted to see the present status of the area. KMDA is already working on a beautification programme below the EM Bypass-VIP Road flyover.

Duttabad residents had earlier demanded rehabilitation of those who were displaced by the East-West Metro project. But their demands were not looked into. With the state government deciding to build flats for them under the Rajiv Awas Yojana, a new central government scheme, the residents may now heave a sigh of relief.

There is good news for Duttabad residents as well. The state government will also build flats for residents of Duttabad under the Rajiv Awas Yojona, a new central government scheme. Duttabad residents have a long-pending demand to rehabilitate those of them who will be displaced by the east west metro project. Some pillars for the metro tunnel will be erected in Duttabad. It has now been decided to rehabilitate those families that face displacement in the flats that will be built.

For years, ponds and waterbodies in Duttabad have been in a pathetic state. since the entire area has remained a slum for years.

Though the area falls under the high profile Bidhannagar Municipality, yet it has seen no sign of development. remained underdeveloped. Local residents often have long complained that quite a few number of ponds in the area had been filled up in the area and that neither the local civic body nor the government had taken any initiative to develop this area.

The Left Front government had planned to rehabilitate the displaced 10,000-odd families living in Duttabad by setting up housing complexes, but nothing was done.

The main problem plaguing the residents was that most of them did not have land deeds. The main problem for most Duttabad residents, most of whom are refugees, is that they lack land deeds.

On assuming office in June 2010, the Trinamool Congress-run Bidhannagar Municipality initiated a process of mutation in Salt Lake’s added areas like Duttabad.

Civic officials conceded that before the formation of the municipality in 1995, these added areas were under the panchayat and

jurisdiction of local block land revenue officer (BLRO). But despite formation of the municipality, the land was not mutated. had jurisdiction over land in themtill the municipality was formed back in 1995, the added areas were under panchayats and the local block land revenue officer (BLRO) had jurisdiction over land in them. Even after the municipality was formed, the land was not mutated and remained under the BLRO.

EB seek to mend ways

Calcutta: Kingfisher East Bengal will look to return to winning ways against Air India in their final round match of the I-League first-leg, at the Salt Lake Stadium, here on Monday, after the 4-0 drubbing they received at the hands of Salgaocar.

If the scoreline was bad, the manner in which the city team succumbed to the Goan outfit was worse, with Mehtab Hussain receiving marching orders early on in the match.

That the defeat was followed by a dressing room scuffle between Hussain and forward Tolgay Ozebe made matters worse.

Coach Trevor James Morgan insisted that the incident would not have any bearing on the side.

“Such things happen… I don’t think this is the first one and neither will this be the last,” the Englishman said.

“We need to put the last match behind us and Monday (January 2) is a new day. It’s in fact, a new year. We will start from scratch – it’s a must-win match for us.”

Incidentally, it appeared as if the errant duo seemed to bury the hatchet, as they were spotted dining together with family on New Year’s eve.

Placed fourth, behind bitter foes Mohun Bagan (24), in the table, last year’s runners-up, East Bengal (23) will be desperate to put their campaign back on track and avoid further slip-ups before the return and last leg of the marathon I-League.

While Hussain will be missing from the sqaud, Morgan’s men will be bolstered by the return of their key Nigerian defender Uga Okpara, whose suspension in the previous round had cost East Bengal badly.

Ozebe had a minor niggle and opted out of practice this morning but the East Bengal forward insisted that he would be fit for the match.

Meanwhile, Air India have already proven without a doubt that they are by no means walkovers.

The Santosh Kashyap-coached side have been the surprise package this season as they dislodged four-time champions Dempo from the top of the table with a stunning 2-0 victory.

With the win over Dempo, Air India enjoyed a hattrick of victories only to be stopped in their last round here against Mohun Bagan.

Lying sixth with 19 points, the Mumbai outfit would offer stiff resistance to East Bengal. Young Manandeep Singh and Nigerian Henry Ezeh would be the players to watch out for, as their form this season has been impressive.