Edmilson and Alvito D’Cunha during the rain stoppage on Sunday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: East Bengal escaped a 0-2 defeat by Peerless in a CFL Premier Division match on Sunday after referee Dilip Ghosh called it off following stone pelting by enraged East Bengal fans amid heavy rainfall and insufficient light.

The match was stopped after 68 minutes when the spectators started hurling stones at the players and match officials. The referee called both the coaches in a bid to pacify the fans. By then the downpour had erased some of the markings on the ground.

Peerless were eager to resume, but the referee declared the match abandoned citing unplayable conditions.

A decision on the fate of the match will be taken by the league sub committee on Monday.

According to match commissioner Sukriti Dutta, the match was “temporarily called off” in the 68th minute, after East Bengal captain Alvito D’Cunha complained of poor light.

“The referee stopped the play after Alvito complained of poor light.

“But then things started deteriorating… East Bengal fans also started throwing stones inside the ground… Even we were attacked. I then asked the police to intervene,” Dutta said.

Peerless coach Mihir Bose questioned the referee’s role. “I feel that the match would not have been abandoned if East Bengal were winning…”

Subrata Bhattacharya, however, admitted that the decision saved their day. “Yes we might have lost the match… It has come as a warning before the Derby match… We really played very badly.”

Subair Muritala Ali and Ugwu James Agbo (penalty) scored for Peerless.