Calcutta: In the end, 1-1 was a fair result, at the Salt Lake Stadium, on Saturday. The result meant East Bengal have now lost four points from the first three matches of the nine-team I-League, and that should make Mohun Bagan happy.

"Our main rivals have lost four points... One more draw or a loss for them will make this League a two horse race - (between) Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC," coach Sanjay Sen was saying while coming out of the post-match media conference.

He was spot-on.

But Sen wasn't spot-on while making the starting XI for the Derby clash. His decision to go with two defensive midfielders - Souvik Chakraborty and Pranoy Halder - only proved that the man was gripped by the fear of losing. That was surprising since the momentum was with Bagan. East Bengal were the underdogs in the build-up to Bengal's most enduring battle.

He fielded Azharuddin Mallick as the mandatory under-22 player only to substitute him with Balwant Singh in the 13th minute. He could have gone with Brandon Fernandes who has been very impressive in the practice sessions.

And also the decision to keep Jeje Lalpekhlua on the bench was baffling. Jeje has been in red-hot form for ISL II winners Chennaiyin FC as well as the national team. For Sen, though, "ISL and SAFF Championship mean nothing" and he persisted with Balwant, "the man who is amongst goals."

His negative mindset only helped the rival team. The East Bengal midfield controlled the game for most part and Bagan started making some noise only after Jeje came in place of Souvik in the 72nd minute. Within five minutes, they got the equaliser.

If Bagan were let down by Sen's safety-first approach, East Bengal's was a story of discipline and sticking to the game plan. Rahul Bheke, with a lot of help from under-22 player Abinash Ruidas, kept Sony Norde quiet for most part of the game, while Ranty Martins proved once again proved that when it comes to the big game, he is the man to fall back upon.

But the real hero of the day was Bikash Jairu. The Sikkim-born attacking midfielder picked out Pritam Kotal as his bunny and went past him time and again. So impressed was Bhaichung Bhutia with this Namchi Sports Hostel product that he went to the East Bengal dressing room to congratulate the 25-year-old.

If Jairu gets consistent with the deliveries, he will serve Indian football for at least seven more years. Every time Jairu made a run down the left, Kotal panicked.

East Bengal got the lead in the 63rd minute when Ranty followed Jairu's centre and on the run, banged it home. It was a superb goal from a great striker. Before the goal, Do Dong Hyun saw his left-footer from the edge of box brilliantly saved by Bagan goalkeeper Debjit Majumder. Dong was not that effective as he was when the 'Big Two' met last time on September 6, but still had a couple of chances.

Just before the interval, his header missed the target by a whisker while midway through the second half, a free-kick missed the far corner of the goal by inches.

The Bagan equaliser came 15 minutes later. Katsumi Yusa was brought down by Dong. Sony curled in the free-kick into the East Bengal box and while Arnab Mondal was marking Balwant, Glen was the first to react and his header went like a bullet, giving TP Rehenesh hardly a chance to move.

First goal in the first Derby, Glen was ecstatic and so were the Bagan supporters. And in the first minute of the injury time, Glen once again headed a Jeje cross. But this time, Rehenesh managed to block it.

As Sony positioned himself to bang it in and the Bagan camp rose in anticipation, Bheke came from nowhere and made an out-of-the-world tackle to deny the Haitian. Soon referee Rowan Arumughan blew the final whistle and the Derby honours were shared.

TEAMS

Mohun Bagan: Debjit Majumder; Pritam Kotal, Luciano Sabrosa, Kingshuk Debnath, Dhanachandra Singh, Azharuddin Mallick (Balwant Singh, 13), Souvik Chakraborty (Jeje Lalpekhlua, 72), Pranoy Halder, Katsumi Yusa, Sony Norde, Cornell Glen

East Bengal: TP Rehenesh; Rahul Bheke, Arnab Mondal, Bello Rasaq, Saumik Dey, Abinash Ruidas (Harmanjyot Singh Khabra, 65), Mehtab Hussain, Mohammed Rafique, Bikas Jairu, Do Dong Hyun (Shylo Malswamtluanga, 85), Ranty Martins

Referee: Rowan Arumughan

MoM: Ranty Martins