Dempo’s Melvin Rodrigues foils Mike Okoro’s attempt on goal as Bhaichung Bhutia looks on at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta: East Bengal’s winning run at home, in the National Football League (NFL), came to an end against Dempo at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.

The 0-0 draw was East Bengal’s first at home after eight straight wins. They stay atop nonetheless with 31 points from 15 matches. Dempo and Churchill are the closest contenders with 28 each and the title-race is likely to intensify when the defending champions travel to Goa to play Churchuill and Haywards Sporting later.

Sunday’s match, played under hot and humid conditions, was not spectacular but the contest was befitting of one between the current and former leaders. East Bengal, operating at a pace slower than what they have been of late, should have secured a win, in terms of the chances both teams created.

“Not a very satisfying outing, but we are still on top. You can’t expect to win every match in such a marathon league. It wasn’t too bad a game, considering many of my players are not fully fit,” said East Bengal coach Subhas Bhowmick.

Dempo pressed early and pinned East Bengal down in their own half. East Bengal were getting more of the ball, but struggled to move up as they were forced to play mostly square passes. To their credit, they prevented Dempo from creating a single chance in this period.

The home team started coming out of its shell almost halfway into the first session. The left wing wasn’t functioning well, but the ball started rolling down the right.

One such move in the 26th minute featuring Mike Okoro and Surkumar Singh found Bhaichung Bhutia inside the six-yard box with just the goalkepeer to beat. The striker connected a header, but failed to place it wide of Abhijit Mondal, who dived to his left to effect a sharp save.

Mondal denied East Bengal again in the 30th, tipping over the bar a shot from Okoro, who saw an incredible back-flick come off the upright in the dying moments of the match.

Mahesh Gawli, used in the midfield somewhat surprisingly as Debjit Ghosh played in deep defence, was the man to be blamed on two occasions as he fumbled to wrest control despite being in good positions inside the box. Sasthi Duley committed the same offence once.

Against the run of play, Dempo got their best chance of the day in the 39th minute. Following a free-kick by Clifford Miranda from the left, Sunday Seah rose above the East Bengal defence but failed to keep his header on target.

The Liberian, one of the most talked-about foreign strikers in the NFL over the last two years, hardly troubled East Bengal before and after this as Dipak Mondal kept him quiet.

The Dempo defence was well organised and they excelled in increasing men in and around the box when East Bengal went on the offensive. Led by Stanley Colaco, they also succeeded in blunting several East Bengal raids off dead-ball situations.

TEAMS

East Bengal: Sangram Mukherjee (Sandip Nandy, 81); M. Suresh, Dipak Mondal, Debjit Ghosh; Sasthi Duley, Mahesh Gawli, Alvito D’Cunha (Bijen Singh, 71), Douglas da Silva (Shylo Malsawmtluanga, 56), Mike Okoro; Bhaichung Bhutia.

Dempo: Abhijit Mondal; Majeck Bolaji, Stanley Colaco, Melvin Rodrigues, Raju Singh; Savio Mascarenhus (Wilton Gomes, 62), Mohammed Gaffari, Nacimento Silveira, Clifford Miranda; Sunday Seah (Alex Ambrose, 66), R.C. Prakash.

Referee: Manuel Perreira.