East Bengal captain Bhaichung Bhutia tries to get past JCT’s Baldeep Singh in the National Football League match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday

Calcutta: Riding Jayanta Sen’s lone goal East Bengal defeated JCT Mills, Phagwara 1-0 and assured second spot in the 10th National Football League match for the ONGC Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday.

The result came as a sigh of relief for East Bengal’s Belgian coach Philippe de Ridder as his team has qualified for the Super Cup where they would face champions Mahindra United and are entitled to play the AFC Cup.

“This (East Bengal) team was not strong enough to be a champion but they have done a pretty good job by finishing runners-up” said the Belgian at the post match press conference. “ Injuries and cards problems were a factor for us. The guys were not prepared to give their 200 percent,” lamented de Ridder.

The loss in the NFL will surely be considered when Belgian coach sits with the club officials for preparing the list for the next season. “We will have to be sensible while building the team next season. We have a very good base and if we add a couple of good players, then it would be a fantastic team in Asia,” the Belgian pointed out.

It was the Calcutta giant’s final league match and the onus was on them to clinch the second spot. Sensing urgency, East Bengal were on the attacking mode from the inception and the first chance came their way in the seventh minute when Syed Rahim Nabi intercepted a Ndem Guy Herve’s flag-kick, in the box, but failed to beat JCT goalie Kalyan Chowbey.

Four minutes later, captain Bhaichung Bhutia got another, after being fed by Gouranga Dutta cross from the left flank, but his right footer from the edge of the box missed the left post by a whisker.

The all-important goal came in the 25th minute via Jayanta’s right footer from the edge of the box.

East Bengal had a few anxious moments but goalie Rajat Ghosh Dastidar came up with some brilliant saves.

However, Bhaichung failed to topple Dempo’s Ranty Martins as the top-scorer, and will now have to be contended with the second spot with 12 goals. Jose Barreto, Dudu Omagbemi and Yusif Yakubu are next to him with eight goals apiece.

TEAMS

EAST BENGAL: Rajat Ghosh Dastidar, Anupam Sarkar, M. Suresh, Ngassa Guy Martial, Syed Rahim Nabi, Shylo Malswamtluanga, Jayanta Sen, Ndem Guy Herve (Sasthi Duley 86), Alvito D’Cunha (Debabrata Roy 81), Gouranga Dutta, Bhaichung Bhutia.

JCT: Kalyan Chowbey, Jaspal Singh, Narinder Singh, Julius Akpele, Daljit Singh, Baldeep Singh (Jaswinder Singh 53), Shiuraj Singh, Marcos Pereira, Renedy Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Parveen Kumar (Johnson Banner 46).

REFEREE: A. Arjunan (SSCB).