Watched by a 25,000 strong crowd at the Nehru Stadium, the Iraqi mid-fielder playing against his former club collected two yellow cards in quick succession as a pulsating battle went into injury time.

He first earned referee Inayatullah Khan's wrath for holding and impeding Churchill's Mario Soares, then felled Anthony Pereira near the goalline while still reeling from a rush of blood to the head.

Banerjee's efforts to cajole him on the way to the dressing room came to naught as the Iraqi reacted violently to a spectator's misdemeanor but happily, nothing untoward transpired after security men escorted the volatile player to the dressing room.

Bagan will count the cost of Basim's suspension before they square up to Dempo atthe same venue on February in a tight Group A that still sees five sides in contention to make Super Six stage of the competition.

Churchill, second in the group after JCT travel to Mumbai for a tricky encounter against also-rans Air-India, but would almost surely be playing for pride.

Portuguese striker Jose D'Cruz scored both goals (15th and 48th minute) for Churchill Brothers who led twice. Jo Paul Ancheri (46th minute) and Satyabrata Bhowick (82nd) helped the Calcutta defending champions equalise twice.

Banerjee rung in a key change by bringing in former Nigerian under-23 International Adebayo Gbadabo for brilliant but unwell mid-fielder Amit Das in the second half. This brought Bagan's game alive after almost an hour of obscurity.

For all his fumbling and floundering, D'Cruz struck the lead for the Goan side in the 15th minute, banging in a rebound off the bar and a defender in a melee following a Somatai Shaiza corner.

After Churchill bagged honours in the first half, Jo Paul Ancheri equalisedamid a stadium distracted by billowing smoke behind the Goans' goal. A cross from Soumitro Chakraborty from the left and Ancheri's itchy left foot did the rest, seconds from the restart.

Churchill regained the lead in the 48th minute. Shaiza's corner again caused confusion in Bagan's ranks and D'Cruz crashed in by glancing the ball home via an unfortunate Riazul Mustafa's foot.

But Bagan's fortunes were improving. What with the sparkle on the left side that the advent of Gbadabo inspired. Suddenly Basim, Ancheri and the old war horse Chima Okerie struck a fine rhythm that had Churchill under pressure.

It rekindled the magic in Okerie, voted last NFL's player of the tournament, who almost scored a world class goal with a booming back-volley from 20 yards out.

The bar came in the way but there was no denying the Nigerian striker paving way to the equaliser with a clinical cross that set up Satyabrata Chatterjee who silenced the stadium with a lunging header.

Gbadabo could have brought Mohun Bagan acertain win with a pile driver but Edward Ansah in Churchill's goal stuck out a glove to bring off a miraculous save.

But it was Churchill's Scottish coach Danny McLennan who was left ruing the loss of two points. ``We let them off the hook, that's for sure,'' McLennan said. Banerjee wasn't too displeased with the outcome but looks forward to better fare from his team. ``My boys are capable of playing much better football,'' he said. ``For some reason they are not getting their act together,'' he lamented.

Meanwhile, NFL chairman Albert Colaco announced that the Super Six stage of the league would be held at two venues -- Goa and Calcutta. The top three teams from Groups A and B would qualify for the Super Six which will be played on a round robin format.

The first leg is scheduled to commence in Goa from February 19, while the date of the second leg is yet to be announced.