Aryan get past drab Md. Sp.

Dipendu Biswas of Mohammedan Sporting and Aryan’s Anupam Sarkar in an aerial tussle. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Mohammedan Sporting Club were humiliated at their home ground, when they were beaten 0-1 by Aryan Club, in a Calcutta Football League Premier Division encounter, on Monday.

It was Aryan’s Nigerian striker Babatunde who scored the all-important goal in the 61st minute. Aryan are now third behind leaders East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

Both Mohun Bagan and Aryan have 28 points each, but the green and maroon brigade are second as they have played one match less than Aryan, who have played 12 ties.

After a rather drab first half, Babatunde got things going for his team. Receiving a pass from Man of the match Stanley Okoroigwe, the Nigerian wasted no time in slotting the ball home, past Sporting ’keeper Priyant Singh, who was completely out of position.

With this goal, Babatunde took his CFL goals tally to eight.

Stung by the reverse, Sporting woke up from their slumber. They began attacking, trying desperately to create chances. Their favoured striker Dipendu Biswas almost managed to net two but Aryan ’keeper Sibram Dey acted spectacularly.

In the 80th minute, Dipendu received the ball from teammate Mir Faroque Hyder but his header missed the target.

In the very next minute, the striker again had the opportunity to head in the ball from substitute Satyajit Bose’s pass. But, Sibram foiled his plan by anticipating the move as he swiftly blocked the ball from entering the goal. Sibram again played the hero for Aryan in the dying moments when he saved David Mkandawire’s attempt from a Hyder free kick.

“We are extremely happy with this result. I’m very proud of my boys,” said an ecstatic Nandi after the win. “We are aiming to end the league on a high.

“We are aiming for at least a third place finish. Hopefully, we will accomplish the target.”

Aryan will leave for the Darjeeling Gold Cup on Thursday.

“We were overconfident,” said a disheartened Tope Fuja, Sporting’s Nigerian coach. “Our striking force also did not click. We had chances but unfortunately could not convert them.”

Before this loss, Sporting had lost 0-3 to Mohun Bagan last week. Before that loss, Sporting had been on a high winning four CFL ties in a row.

Sporting are currently fifth in the league table.

Teams

Aryan: Sibram Dey, Raju Koley, Sourav Chakraborty, Mohan Sarkar, Snehasish Dutta (Gopal Debnath, 40), Subha Kumar, Babatunde (Suvankar Nag, 88), Phulchand Hembram (Surojit Roy, 73), Bolwe Eric, Stanley Okoroigwe, Anupam Sarkar.

Mohammedan Sporting: Priyant Singh, Habibur Rahman, David Mkandawire, Sarfaraz Khan, Mir Faroque Hyder, Lucky Imran, Adeola Hassan, Goutam Kujur (Kartick Kisku, 66), Mohammed Muktar (Satyajit Bose, 47), Nilendra Dewan (Suroj Mondal, 60), Dipendu Biswas.

Referee: Debjit Das

MoM: Stanley Okoroigwe