East Bengal win Calcutta Football League title

KOLKATA: East Bengal defeated arch-rivals Mohun Bagan 3-2 for a record 34th Calcutta Football League Premier Division title at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday.
Edeh Chidi was the chief architect in their win with a brace (23rd and 72nd), while Orji Penn struck once (29th) to complete the tally against a lacklustre Mohun Bagan who scored through Odafa Okolie (39th) and Tolgay Ozbey (90+3rd).
East Bengal had an all-win record from eight matches to finish with 24 points as it was a hattrick of wins for English coach Trevor Morgan who completed three seasons at the helm having joined in 2010.
Bagan, who have 29 titles, finished second with 19 points.
After the win, East Bengal took a victory lap of the stadium in front of a 40,000-plus crowd making it an emotional moment for Morgan.
"The fans have showered me with a lot of love. They want me here but at the same time, I miss my family who also want me back home. The priority is to spend at least four-five months with them," the Perth-based Morgan said.
Scores of fans pleaded Morgan to "stay back" as they lined up outside the stadium putting up placards.
Asked whether he would like to return India, Morgan said: "Only time will say. But I will always follow East Bengal's updates after West Ham."
Morgan termed the 2010 Federation Cup triumph as the best moment in his coaching career with East Bengal.
"It was our first title that established me as the coach here. It will always remain special."
This was East Bengal's second triumph this season, having won the Federation Cup earlier as Morgan also had some other memorable moments helping the team to AFC Cup quarterfinal, only for the second time after 2004.
East Bengal looked formidable right from the start as they made two good moves inside eight minutes but both Penn and Chidi failed to capitalise on the opportunities.
They mended their lapses as play progressed and Chidi struck a return ball with a fine left-footer.
Six minutes later, a Kevin Lobo-Chidi combination found Penn inside the Bagan box and the latter made no mistake in finding the target.
Mohun Bagan reduced the margin when a curling freekick by Odafa beat the five-man East Bengal wall as goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal failed to fathom.
With Mohun Bagan defence looking vulnerable, Chidi got the better of Biswajit Saha and Nirmal Chetri before slotting home a second.
In the dying minutes, Mohun Bagan found another when Tolgay finished with a solitary effort.