A mismatch for maroon and green brigade as Vasco strike right form

KOLKATA, JANUARY 7: Title aspirants Mohun Bagan failed to shrug off their indifferent form and were held to a 1-1 by Vasco Sports Club in the National Football League match at the Salt Lake Stadium here today.

After a barren opening session, the Goan outfit shot into the lead early in the second session with striker Rui Wanderley finding the target but the glamour club managed to find the equaliser through their star striker Jose Barreto to avoid the embarrassment of a defeat on their home ground. Bagan, who have not won a match in the last three encounters, were desperate to arrest the slump in front of their home crowd but the team failed to play cohesively and failed to convert the opportunities that came their way.

The opening session was played at a fast pace as both teams tried to take control of the proceedings with a series of raids but the goal remained elusive till the interval with the two teams failing to get their act together inside the box.

The visitors forged ahead in the 52nd minute through a brilliant effort of striker Rui Wanderley who headed home after the hard-working medio Hemanthan had set the move with a lovely back header. But the home team managed to find the equaliser midway through the second session thanks to an acrobatic effort by Jose Barreto who dived full length and headed home a rebound of his own header.
Bagan never really looked to be in command though they enjoyed territorial advantage for most of the match.

East Bengal-Vasco tie postponed

The National Football League match between defending champions East Bengal and Vasco Sports Club, scheduled to be held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on January 10, has been deferred by a day because of the ‘Bangla Bandh’ called by SUCI and CPI(ML) on that day. The two NFL matches scheduled on January 11 and 12 have also been postponed by a day, Indian Football Association (IFA) joint secretary Ranjit Gupta said today.

"The police have expressed their inability to provide security for the match on Janurary 10 in view of the proposed bandh," Gupta said.
The Mohun Bagan-JCT match, originally scheduled for January 11, will now be played on January 12 while the Tollygunge Aggragami-Punjab Police encounter will be played on January 13 after being deferred by a day. (PTI)