Keeper Abhra is Bengal's hero

KOLKATA: Another day, another shootout, but this time Bengal emerged on the right side of the scoreline.
Shabbir Ali's boys paid back Goa in their own coin, beating the defending champions 4-3 via tie-breaker to make the Santosh Trophy summit clash after the team's shared two goals in 120 minutes at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday.
Goalkeeper Abhra Mondal, playing his first match in the competition, was the hero as he saved John Dias and Nicholas Rodrigues' penalties to help his team exact revenge for a defeat suffered in similar fashion in last edition's final in Chennai.When Milagres Gonsalves put Goa ahead in the 20th minute, it seemed the title-holders would have the last laugh. But Bengal refused to go out with a whimper in front of their own supporters. Robin Singh lifted the gloom which threatened to grip the side, equalising six minutes from regulation time and forcing 30 extra minutes.
The East Bengal striker should have finished the contest in extra-time, but failed to find the target from close, while Gouranga Dutta's attempted centre landed on the crosspiece, thus prolonging the suspense. The hosts started the tie-breaker on a disastrous note when Rajiv Ghosh had his attempt saved by Goa captain Felix D'Souza. Abhra, however, had other ideas, perfectly anticipating Dias and Rodrigues strikes from the spot.
For Goa, Godwin Franco, Cavin Lobo and Adil Khan were on target while Snehashis Chakraborty, Souvik Chakraborty, Sheikh Azim and Denson Devadas netted for the hosts to put put in shade their right-backs early miss.