FATORDA: Nigerian Striker Ranti Martins scored a second half brace to help Kolkata giants East Bengal to a comfortable 3-1 win over Sporting Clube de Goa, at the Nehru Stadium, here, on Sunday.
Odafa Okolie scored first for the Goans in the 29th minute before the second half turn-around was led by Ranti Martins (67th, 81st) and Bikash Jairu (78′).
The Goan side started the match on the front foot as Amna had a chance in the very first minute. The Syrian found himself at the end of a good cross from the right but his connection was not sufficient to trouble Rehenesh TP.
Sporting Clube was to be the more potent side in the first half, with Odafa looking menacing by the passing minute. East Bengal on the other hand were more comfortable on the ball in a mercurial 4-3-2-1 formation.
Debuts were handed out to Arindam Bhattacharya, Loveday Okechukwu and Dharmaraj Ravanan for the Flaming Oranje; whereas Biswajit Bhatacharya decided to start his set of new signings in Rehenesh TP, Sehnaj Singh and Bello Rassaq.
The first goal of the game was scored by Odafa Okolie in the 29th minute. The forward sprung onto a pass from deep into the Sporting Clube half and ran past the East Bengal defense to casually put it past the goalkeeper.
At the end of the first half, Sporting Clube had their tails up with a 1-0 lead.
Seemingly, East Bengal decided to induce tactical changes to their formation in the second half and the move seemed to have worked immediately.
Their persistence paid off in the 67th minute as Ranti Martins scored for the Red and Golds. All he had to do was get his head to a delicious ball in by Do Dong Hyun and guide it past Arindam Bhattachrya.
Alber Gonsalves was booked in the 73rd minute for a rash challenge on Sehnaj Singh. Mahmoud Al Amna was also cautioned in the 76th minute for simulation in the East Bengal penalty area.
Bikas Jairu made it 2-1 to East Bengal after linking up immaculately with Ranti Martins who slid the ball past the defense for Jairu to fire it past the goalkeeper from the left hand side of the box.
It was utter pandemonium minutes later as Ranti Martins decided to add another goal to his tally and make it 3-1 to the visitors.
Do Dong Hyun was the supplier on this occasion who found Ranti in the penalty area with a through ball and Ranti calmly slotted it into Bhattachrya’s far corner.
The remainder of the game was seen through comfortably by the Red and Golds who ended their first endeavor in the 2015/16 season of Hero I-League on a winning note.
