East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick and his players enjoy their practice session on Saturday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta: What started as a base for experimentation has finally reached a satisfying end. And the man behind this, Subhas Bhowmick, seems in no mood to let the opportunity go as East Bengal are on the threshold of claiming the CFL Super Division title three times in a row.

Having trudged along the undulating course of contentment as well as crisis for about five months, the East Bengal coach is talking about the proverbial ?final push in the last lap.?

?A win, even by a 1-0 margin, is my top priority. My joy won?t be dampened even if the goal turns out to be a same-side one,? Bhowmick told reporters on Saturday, the eve of his team?s penultimate round match against Mohammedan Sporting.

Perhaps to add more grandeur to the occasion, Bhaichung Bhutia is set to return to football action after a long injury lay-off.

The India captain ? who last donned the red-and-gold jersey in the league against the same opponents way back in July 24 (when East Bengal won 1-0) ? looked in perfect shape as the entire squad, saving injured Dipak Mondal, sweated it out for about one and half hours at the club ground. Sasthi Duley and Dipankar Roy were also present.

Bhowmick also confirmed that Bhaichung would take the field, but didn?t elaborate whether he would be in the starting line-up.

Bhaichung?s availability will also make one of Bhowmick?s oft-repeated wishes come true. During Sunday?s proceedings, the coach?s eyes will surely be trained on how the combination of Bhiachung and new Brazilian recruit, Paolo Roberto da Silva (?a schemer who loves to operate from behind,? according to Bhowmick) could be shaped up for future gains.

This may become imperative since Bhowmick has showed his desperation for the Federation Cup. ?This is one title I?m badly missing,? he minced no words in stating this.

[The East Bengal coach, meanwhile, made it clear that Dipak (knee injury) would not be in the Federation Cup-bound squad. ?I want him to recover fully before the National League,? the coach remarked.]

On the league, Bhowmick said his experimentation was over and it?s time to put it into effect. He termed Mohammedan Sporting as ?not an easy hurdle to cross? and added: ?They have a few players who, on a given day, can make anybody?s life difficult?.

In the opponents? camp, there was hardly an air of optimism. ?East Bengal are formidable rivals but we?ll try our best,? newly-appointed coach Biswajit Bhattacharya said.

Stanley Festus is doubtful with injury but fellow Nigerian Henry Chukwukei will be available. The coach?s worry, however, was revolving on the ?lack of practice? bit.

More than the opponents, it?s the past, which is looming large on Bhowmick?s mind. ?My boys shouldn?t forget what had happened in the National League in 2002-03. We needed just one point out of four matches to claim the title. But we faltered in the first two and everybody started panicking.

?So I?ll ask them to take the match in their stride and not put themselves under unnecessary pressure. We must realise that we are mortal,? Bhowmick cautioned.

The real Bhowmick, however, took little time to emerge. ?When a team, with aspirations for the title, takes a lead in the final lap, it doesn?t look back to see where the others are placed,? he said.

After Durand Cup, the 30th League title is beckoning. And Bhowmick now eyes completing the unfinished job in the Federation Cup.

Mohammedan Sporting, thus, look like a minuscule presence on the path of East Bengal juggernaut.