Alvito D’Cunha is congratulated by Anit Ghosh after scoring East Bengal’s first goal against Mohammedan Sporting at Salt Lake Stadium on Friday. Bhaichung Bhutia, who struck the second, is in the background. Pictures by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta: Fire the coach. Sack the superstars, bring in fresh blood. And a seeming resignation to the fact that there’s little to gain from this red-gold brigade. Those were the sentiments that could be heard in and around the East Bengal tent with the team struggling to get a toehold on the current National Football League race.

And coach Subhas Bhowmick was missing the rub of the green. After Friday, though, these views should be put on hold.

The defending champions’ 4-0 rout of Mohammedan Sporting at the Salt Lake Stadium needs to be studied in ways beyond the glossy scoreline. Mike Okoro finally placed a ball into the net and Cristiano Junior was on a record scoring spree.

Alvito D’Cunha and Bhaichung Bhutia also registered their names in the scoresheet. Friday’s win pushed East Bengal to share the second spot with JCT at 18 points from 10 matches, two points behind Dempo SC, who have played a game less. Mohammedan Sporting (6) look doomed.

The match could have been different had the black-and-white strikers used their intelligence inside the box. In the 18th minute a Subhas mistake allowed Syed Rahim Nabi to break free, but the forward shot straight at Sangram Mukherjee.

Soon after, Syed Hossain’s free-kick from about 30 yards tested Sangram under the bar, and Dipendu Biswas failed to push home a rebound on the stroke of halftime.

Then came a typical Alvito goal, two minutes within the first-half injury times. Junior squared a ball aimed at Bhaichung on top of the box, but latter sold a dummy for Alvito, whose rasping drive was too hot for Gumpe Rime.

The goal changed everything, East Bengal pushing Mohammedan Sporting back. The 68th minute of the match saw a Bhaichung classic. He chested down a right-wing long cross from Sujoy and his first-time volley was an absolute cracker.

Within four minutes, Junior made history. The Brazilian, while receiving a Sujoy cross, was pulled down by his marker Madhab Das inside the box and the referee S.M. Balu rightly pointed his finger to the spot-kick. Junior had no difficulty in scoring his seventh goal in as many matches, surpassing Omolaja Olalekan’s six in the 1997-98 season.

The roving Okoro, trying too many things too quickly, finally saw his diligence bear fruit in the final minute. It was a carbon copy of the first goal with the characters being different. Sujoy sold a dummy of a Malsawmtluanga square pass leaving the Nigerian clear at the other end to push home his first goal since his strike in the team’s 3-0 win over Air India in the Durand Cup semi-final, on November 8.

TEAMS

East Bengal: Sangram Mukherjee; Subhashish Roy Chowdhury, Mahesh Gawli, M. Suresh (Anit Ghosh, 33), Subhas Chakraborty; Mike Okoro, Sujoy Dutta, Debjit Ghosh, Alvito D’Cunha (Sasthi Duley, 67); Bhaichung Bhutia, Cristiano Junior (Shylo Malsawmtluanga, 77).

Mohammedan Sporting: Gumpe Rime; Syed Hossain, Hussain Mustafi, Madhab Das (Sheikh Sanjib, 79), Amandeep Singh; Abu Bakar Godwin, Okoli Onyeka Odafa, Bungo Singh, Rahim Nabi; Edeh Chidi, Dipendu Biswas (Zahir Abbas, 51).

Referee: S.M. Balu (Karnataka).

Upset in Goan derby

PTI adds: Meanwhile in Margao, Dudu Omagbemi capitalised on a defensive lapse to help Haywards Sporting Club upset Salgaocar 1-0 Friday. The goal came in the 17th minute when Salgaocar defender Bello Rassaq fumbled to clear from the danger zone.

Dudu snatched, took a few strides before despatching the ball into the net. Haywards are now on 17 points from ten matches and are placed third behind Dempo and JCT, while Salgacoar, who lost their fourth match, remained on 16 points.

In Chennai, Vasco Sports Club, Goa scored twice in the second half to down local outfit Indian Bank.

Vasco’s Brazilian recruit Edson Tadeu de Castro netted the first goal in the 73rd minute, while substitute Denis Cabral made it 2-0 in the 84th minute.