Chirag hold JCT goalless

Despite the unavailability of seven regular players, Chirag United ran out the JCT defence in their I-League encounter at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday, but a missed penalty from Dulal Biswas meant that the home team had to be content with a draw.

Subrata Bhattacharya’s five-midfielder formation left Snehashish Chakrabarty free to build up the attacks and JCT’s defence was into all sorts of trouble. Unfortunately for Chirag, forward Ayan Chowdhury’s blunder after blunder meant all chances went abegging. Having come on for S Raleng, who was forced off following a collision with JCT defender Anwar in the 17th minute, Chowdhury squandered three clean sitters, in the 44th, 68th and the 75th minute.

To make matters worse, Biswas’s shot from the penalty, awarded after Dawit Singh handled a ball off a corner inside the box, was brilliantly saved by the JCT custodian Karanjit Singh diving to his right.