(From left) Shylo Malsawmtluanga, Douglas da Silva and Paolo Roberto da Silva celebrate East Bengal?s triumph at Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Calcutta: Surviving the long, gruelling league was like a ?cat and mouse game? to Subhas Bhowmick. At the end of the day, he saw the cat quite easily killing the mouse.

Sitting pretty on another laurel, the East Bengal coach, however, did let the cat out of his bag ? that a lot of the club?s 30th IFA League title, achieved after bulldozing Mohammedan Sporting 3-0 at Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday, had to do with his initial experimentation with the squad.

?For me, the biggest gain from this league is that I?ve managed to settle my bench,? Bhowmick said during the post-match press conference.

?Frankly speaking, I didn?t know how to fill up the void created with the departures of (Mike) Okoro, (Cristiano) Junior and Surkumar (Singh). It really was a testing time to groom some players into completely new positions. When I see at least two players are ready to slip into wingers? roles, it gives me immense satisfaction,? he maintained. ?I?m having a problem of plenty!?

Of the four league titles as the East Bengal coach, he termed the first one in 1999 as ?emotional?, and the second one (2001-02) as ?extremely tough? since ?my job was at stake at that time.?

He also pointed out that the draw with Mohun Bagan in the first match of the Super Six, was ?the turning point? of this season?s title. But Bhowmick has some unfinished business at hands ? the Federation Cup.

?After two wins (Durand Cup and League), it?s quite natural for players to get complacent. This is why I?m going to tell my boys to forget all about this and focus on the next target. I know it?s tough in Bangalore, but we?ll give it a blast,? Bhowmick asserted.

Shylo Malsawmtluanga, who emerged the hero with a double strike, felt the twin title would boost the team?s confidence in the Federation Cup.

?We are playing as a team and our confidence will be high after winning two trophies in quick succession,? Malsawmtluanga said.

Dipankar Roy, who didn?t take the field on Sunday, summed up the mood thus: ?We know what we are up to. Be it in the league or the Federation Cup and National League, the focus will remain the same.?

Mohammedan Sporting coach Biswajit Bhattacharya, meanwhile, linked the defeat to his team?s ?endurance and age problems.?