Sunday is known as the day of rest, but Air-India coach Bimal Ghosh had different plans. A day before their encounter against East Bengal, his team practised their hearts out in the afternoon.

Their efforts fructified today when Ghosh and his wards registered their first victory in the I-League— skipper Paresh Shivalkar scoring the only goal.

The Air-India wingers Shivalkar and Sanju Pradhan worked in tandem and fed their strikers with enough balls. In the sixth minute, Air-India’s Bashiru Abbas failed to give his side an early lead when, off Uttam Singh’s throw-in, he sent a feeble shot that failed to reach the goalline.

The crowd generated plenty of support as the players went physical for ball possession.

Though East Bengal medio Mehtab Hussain and Syed Rahim Nabi tried to have a look at the goal, the Air-India defenders Nirmal Chettri, Uttam Singh, Amritpal Singh and Suley Musah blocked them.

The only man who stood in Air-India’s path was India goalkeeper Subrata Pal. He threw himself all that came his way to save the day for his team.

In the 39th minute, Shivalkar came close to scoring his first goal in the I-League but Pal leaped forward and palmed away the 25-yard angular shot. Though the two teams walked out goalless at half-time, they had enthralled the spectators.

In the second half, East Bengal looked a little out of breath and the airmen kept up their good work. The fruit of their hard work came in the 62nd minute when Vijith Shetty sent a brilliant pass behind the East Bengal defenders. Shivalkar, who was struggling to get his form back, received the ball and sent a right-footer into the top corner of roof.