East Bengal coach Aloke Mukherjee congratulates Edmilson after the match on Tuesday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: On a hot afternoon at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday, a manful East Bengal shook off their tiredness, lethargy and perhaps a little bit of ill luck to get their AFC Cup campaign back on track.

The 1-0 victory via an Edmilson winner in a Group B match over Ahli Sana’a, wasn’t a fair result in the end. The red and golds looked hungry and good enough for more. In fact, the way Aloke Mukherjee’s boys outpaced and outplayed their Yemeni counterparts, it would seem East Bengal did take a cue from history.

This was the 54th time the red and golds have emerged victorious in their 118th clash with foreign outfits. Not that Ahli San’a are a great side but East Bengal’s game had a conviction that was rarely seen this season.

From Syed Rahim Nabi to Edmilson, from Subrata Paul to Gift, the hosts were willing to toil it out in the middle.

A 4-1-4-1 formation was only to be expected to begin with from a wary East Bengal coach but as the game wore on, it became clear that there was no need to be in awe of this very ordinary-looking Yemeni side.

The goal, which ultimately came in the 34th minute of the first half, was a result of sustained pressure.

East Bengal earned three quick corners in the 28th and 29th minutes. The second one should have seen the hosts go 1-0 up. From an Alvito D’Cunha corner, a unmarked Nabi touched his head. The ball agonisingly eluded the goalie and captain Muaadh Abdul Kacik’s outstretched hands, kissed the bar post and trickled out after rebounding off a defender.

A prostrate Edmilson was left ruing his luck. But that set the tone of the match.

It was the misfiring yet well meaning Gift who was instrumental behind the solitary goal of the match. His shot from a loose ball in the midfield rebounded off Ahmed Kalil and fell in the way of a unmarked Edmilson. The Brazilianshook the net with a forceful left-foot punch.

If anything, the goal instilled some much needed self-belief into East Bengal ranks and conversely, Sana’a seemed to go into their shell.

The second half meandered a little with both sides a little out of breath in the searing heat. But East Bengal still came hard at their opponents.

They prised open the rival defence on many occasions but lack of men in the attacking third prevented an increase in the scoreline.

Barring one move in the 70th minute when Ala Al-Sasi’s right-footer hit the woodwork, the Yemeni side looked out of their depth.

East Bengal now have three points from two matches and will travel to Yemen for a face-off against Al Wihdat on April 2.

TEAMS

East Bengal: Subrata Paul, M. Suresh, M. Bolaji, Debabrata Roy, Alvito D’Cunha (Snehashis Chakroborty 63), Gift (Hardeep Singh 93), Syed Rahim Nabi, Mehtab Hossain, Mehrajuddin Wadao,Surkumar Singh, Edmilson, Snehashis Chakraborty.

Ahli Sana’a: Muaadh Abdul Kacik, Ala Al-Sasi, Adel Al Salimi (Wahid Alkyat 83, yellow), Sami Alhemi, Assad Alqu Masi, Hamada Alhadashi, Ahmed Kalil, Zaid Alnajir (Ebrahim Hassan 62), Essam Aldhubani, Fuad Alamari, Jmal Alqudemi.

Referee: Tojo Minoru.