East Bengal end Lajong dream run, lift Fed Cup

Guwahati:

East Bengal clinched the Federation Cup football title by overcoming giant-killer Lajong FC of Shillong in a keenly contested summit clash that stretched into the penalty shootout here on Sunday.

Yusif Yakubu, Nirmal Chhetri and Sanju Pradhan scored for the Kolkata outfit in the penalty shootout after stipulated 90 minutes as well as the extra-time failed to determine the champion of the prestigious tournament.

Lajong, who had shocked I-League champions Churchill Brothers 1-0 to book their maiden final berth earlier, rode on the crowd support to thwart the Kolkata giant in the regulation time before losing the plot in the penalty stage.

Earlier, the match saw a well-contested but barren first half with Lajong defenders standing firm to save their citadel despite some nippy attack by East Bengal.

The Kolkata outfit came tantalizingly close to scoring when Harmanjot Khabra was allowed by Lajong defenders to take a free header at the near post off a corner but he failed to find the net.

The Shillong boys looked quite dangerous on counter-attack and East Bengal, despite their early dominance, could not take it easy for even a second.

Just before the breather, Subhash Singh curled in a pass into the penalty box and it almost sneaked through for Harmanjot at the far post, but an alert Boithang did his job rightly under the bars.