East Bengal, Mohun Bagan share spoils in goalless CFL derby

Kolkata (IANS): City football giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan played out a goalless draw in the Calcutta Football League (CFL) Premier Division derby at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Sunday.

It was a game of many changes and high drama, but both the outfits ended up firing blanks on a rainy afternoon with the stands packed to the rafters.

Mohun Bagan, languishing in seventh place with one win from three matches, kept star Spanish striker Salva Chamorro on the bench as Joseba Beitia returned to the starting XI along with Ashutosh Mehta and Surabuddin Mallick.

East Bengal also made wholesale changes from the last game with Mehtab Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, Abhishek Ambekar, Ronaldo Oliveira, Marcos Jimenez and Pintu Mahata replacing Asheer Akhtar, Samad Ali Mallick, Manoj Mohammed, Boithang Haokip, Bidyasagar Singh and Jaime Santos Colado.

Both the teams missed easy chances just five minutes before the half-time whistle as they entered the break failing to break the deadlock. Mohun Bagan's V.P. Suhair got the best chance of the match in a one on one with Lalthuammawia Ralte after Mehtab Singh and Marti Crespi were caught napping. Suhair, however, missed a gilt edged chance to help his side take the lead.

East Bengal coach Alejandro Menendez brought in Jaime Santos and Bidyasagar Singh in the 70th minute to go for the kill, but could not find the target as both teams shared the spoils.