Calcutta: The East Bengal coach admits his team has crossed the biggest hurdle en route to the National League title, but is keeping his fingers crossed.

“No doubt we have won a very vital match,” Subhas Bhowmick said after Friday’s win over Mahindra United. “But me and my players have taken a lesson from the Federation Cup loss — not to take any match lightly.

“We have vowed to take it one match at a time. We never believed we would stop before the Federation Cup final, but that happened,” Bhowmick said, emphasising that he doesn’t want a repeat.

He was still taking heart from Friday’s fine showing. “Mahindra was the best team in the country till today because they won the Federation Cup and Super Cup. Beating them with so many problems is surely a good effort.

“Having said that, I feel my team is wasting too many chances. Against a team like Mahindra, this could have turned fatal. The strikers have to get it right. But the discipline shown by my defenders was exemplary.”

Mahindra’s English coach David Booth said the match turned after Arun Malhotra was shown the red card. “We were in no danger till that moment and there was no cause for concern.”