Bangalore: C S Sabeeth scored in the dying moments to neutralise a second half strike from Sean Rooney as Mohun Bagan shared honours with debutants Bengaluru FC in the first Round of their I-league encounter here Sunday.
It was the home team that drew first blood in the 49th minute of the match, when their Aussie striker Sean Rooney poked home against the run of play at the Bangalore Football Stadium. And just when it looked that the home side was heading for a dream debut, Sabeeth spoilt the perfect party as the Bagan striker headed a ball into the Bengaluru FC net deep into second half stoppage time.
Earlier, both the teams missed one penalty each as they had to be satisfied with one point each. The offenders were Yusa Katsumi in the first half and Rooney post the breather, the latter ruing the chance to cap a brace for his new Club. Despite playing their first match, it was the home side that started strongly penetrating into the Bagan box within the first five minutes of play.
The visitors then came back strongly thanks to some brilliant ball play by Katsumi in the midfield. Despite missing the penalty early on, Bagan managed to create some chances but failed to find the back of the net. The closest they came to scoring in the first half apart from the penalty was in the 21st minute when Sabeeth's shot was saved by Bengaluru FC keeper Pawan Kumar.
In the second half, Bagan started showing nerves early on as they conceded the goal and then a penalty. Trailing 1-0, they pressed hard for the equaliser but were unlucky a couple of times.
Sunil Chhetri, who came in as a substitute for the hosts in the second half, got an opportunity in the 83th minute, but his shot went past the goal post. One minute later, Siam Hangal got a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 for the hosts, but he failed to round off the goalkeeper.
The hosts were reduced to ten men in the 90th when Thoi Singh was shown a red card following his second booking.
While in another match, Shillong Lajong rode on Trinidad World Cupper Cornel Glen's double strike to script a shock 3-0 defeat of former champions Dempo in their lung opener of the 7th edition of the Airtel I-League here. Glen scored in the 30th and 67th minutes while Boithang Haokip found the target in the 38th minute for Lajong who came here with a determination to break the jinx of poor record against Goan sides.
Lajong succeeded in breaking the deadlock in the 30th minute when Williams released the ball to Glen who cut past Shimosouka Honda and Colosimo before curling the ball into the top left corner of the Dempo goal. Eight minutes later, Lajong increased the lead when keeper Subhasish Roychowdhury handled the ball outside the box. Referee Ranjit Bakshi awarded Shillong Lajong free kick and showed Chowdhury a yellow card.
Boithand Haokip who took the free-kick floated the ball which dipped in the right corner with keeper Subhasish remaining stranded in his place. Dempo, under their new coach Arthur Papas, were looking for a positive start but they failed to get their act together especially in the midfield as there were a lot of miss-passes.
They made few forays and succeeded in breaking the defence but their strikers lacked direction in finding the net. Changing over, the visitors swelled the lead in the 67th minute when captain Son sent a long ball into the Dempo box for Glen who found the net from an acute angle from the right.
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