East Bengal fall to 10-man Al Short despite Lalhlansang’s brace in ACL2 opener

East Bengal’s return to continental football got off to a disappointing start as they lost 3-2 to Iraq’s Al Shorta after letting David Lalhlansana’s two-goal first-half contribution go to waste on Tuesday. The Kolkata club had the upper hand at the break but conceded three times after half-time, allowing their opponents to grab victory in AFC Champions League Two, Asia’s second-tier club competition.

Lalhalansana struck in the eighth minute and again just before half-time to give East Bengal the lead. However, Al Shorta responded through Ahmed Yahya, Hussein Al Saedi and Kingsley Kuku to turn the game around. Even after the Iraqi visitors were reduced to 10 men late on, East Bengal could not find a way back.

Defeat will sting for the hosts given the position they have worked their way into. They created opportunities to extend their lead in the first half, but a decisive spell after the break kept them in the game.

LALHLANSANGA IS FOR SALE

East Bengal took the lead when Lalhlansanga received Hardik Bhatt’s pass from the right, turned towards goal and shot past goalkeeper Jalal Hassan in the eighth minute.

He didn’t keep Al Short waiting long. Six minutes later, Ruben Ramrez delivered the ball from the right side of the box and Yahya got his way with a downward header that beat Prabhsukhan Singh to make it 1-1.

The contest began with East Bengal looking to restore their advantage. Hassan denied Lal Chungnung with a one-handed save from a 35-yard effort in the 21st minute before stopping Lalhlansang’s follow-up half-volley.

Five minutes before the break, the goalkeeper was beaten again. After Daniel Ramirez’s free-kick was saved by Hassan, East Bengal captain Basim Rashid collected the ball near the touchline and fired it into the path of Lalhlansang. With an unguarded goal, the striker finished from close range to give East Bengal a 2-1 lead at half-time.

THREE GOALS CHANGE THE COMPETITION

Al Shorta emerged from the break with renewed intent and were back on level terms within six minutes. Yahya worked his way down the left and sent the ball across goal, allowing Al Saedi to finish from close range.

He completed the comeback in the 53rd minute. Kuku curled a header towards goal from a corner, the ball deflecting off Prabhsukhan’s arm before crossing the line to put the visitors 3-2 up.

Needing a response, East Bengal started pushing for another equalizer. But Hassan proved tough to beat, making two more saves in quick succession in the 67th minute to keep out efforts from Edmund Lalrindika and Lalhlansana.

RED CARD OFFERS LATE HOPE

Al Shorta was forced to finish the match with 10 men after Abdoul Moumouni received a second yellow card in the 76th minute for a defensive tackle on Jay Gupta. The dismissal gave East Bengal a numerical advantage during the closing stages, but they failed to convert it into a goal.

Further frustration set in for the visitors when Kuku found the net on the stroke of half-time but the effort was ruled out for offside.

East Bengal continued to look for a late breakthrough but Al Shorta held on to secure victory. Lalhlansang’s brace put the hosts in a promising position, yet their defensive struggles after the break and failure to capitalize on the extra player cost them in the end.

Defeat leaves East Bengal with work to do to continue their campaign in the tournament for second-tier Asian clubs, while Al Shorta took the three points after a determined second-half recovery.

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