Myanmar Finance & Revenue FC?s Soe Myat Min scores one of his three goals against Sri Lanka?s Renown SC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Calcutta: The IFA Shield horror story, scripted-directed by Renown SC and produced by the state association, continues to haunt the Salt Lake Stadium.

The Sri Lankans had taken in nine goals against Mohun Bagan the other day, giving Subrata Bhattacharya?s men hope that they would top group A (if it came to goal-difference) and avoid group B winners East Bengal in the semis.

On a dank Monday, all such calculations went awry as the no-hopers from the Emerald Isles managed to lose 1-10 to Myanmar Finance & Revenue FC! Not only did Renown SC send the IFA brass scurrying for cover trying to justify inviting such a useless foreign team, they also managed to ?set up? a Mohun Bagan versus East Bengal showdown a round too prematurely.

Mohun Bagan and Myanmar Finance & Revenue FC tied on points (four each) as well as goal-difference (plus-nine), but the visitors took the top spot for having scored 11 (as against Mohun Bagan?s 10). The Myanmar side will meet Mohammedan Sporting or Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sansad, a decidedly easier prospect than facing East Bengal.

It was clear from the way the Myanmar players were fetching the ball from the Sri Lankan goal after every strike that they were desperate to go one better than Mohun Bagan. And the way the players erupted in celebration after goal No. 10 underlined their respect for East Bengal.

Subhas Bhowmick was at the ground to size up Myanmar Finance & Revenue. Little did the East Bengal coach know, when he left the stadium at half-time, that his semi-final homework would remain incomplete!

Myanmar coach U Myint Kyu made no bones about his feelings. ?We have a good chance of making the final as we got the easier semi-final?? On his preference for the final opponents, he announced at the top of his voice: ?Mohun Bagan.?

Conceding 19 goals in two matches takes some doing. If the Lankans? deficiency in basics was ruthlessly exposed by Mohun Bagan, they took a hammering at the hands of the Myanmarese for poor strategy and planning.

Even as the tally bulged by the minute in the second half, it was surprising to see just three or four Sri Lankans trying to defend against the marauding Myanmarese. They did well in the early part of the game to show some aggression by pushing men up front, but when the side is four-five goals down, the onus surely had to be on defence.

M.V. Fereira, their Brazilian coach who is also in charge of the national team, cried himself hoarse shouting instructions. Why he didn?t ask his men to retreat in unison will remain a mystery.

To give the devil its due, Renown SC did well to hold the Myanmar side at bay for close to half-hour. In fact, the Lankans nearly scored after 15 minutes when T.J. Kumara?s placement kissed the post on its way out.

But once the Myanmar outfit got the ball into the Lankan goal in the 28 th minute, Renown SC folded like a pack of cards. They let in three in the last seven minutes of the opening session, pulled one back five minutes after half-time before conceding another half-dozen.

Captain Myo Hlaing Win was Myanmar?s principal gamemaker, setting up three and scoring three. Medio Soe Myat Min, who showed some fine touches, netted three as well. Aung Kyaw Myint, another player with good skills, got a brace, as did Yan Paing.

The manager of the Lankan team blamed the goalkeeper for the rout, but the fact is, the scoreline would have been something like 15-1 had goalkeeper M.M. Nawshad not effected some stunning saves in the last half an hour.

TEAMS

Myanmar Finance & Revenue FC: Aung Aung Oo, Khin Maung Tun, Moe Kyaw Thu, Min Min Aung, Aung Kyaw Myint, Soe Myat Min, Aung Kyaw Moe, Yan Paing, Lwin Oo (Tun Tun Win, 70), Zaw Htike (Kyaw Thu Ra, 60), Myo Hlaing Win.

Renown SC: M.M. Nawshad, D. Jayasinghe, H. Jayasinghe, T.J. Kumara (R.S. Ranasingha, 20), B. Rajitha, Benedict Simon, D. Hettiharachige, M.K. Priyantha (Shaji Varghese, 74), A. Loganathan, L.M. Asmeer, A. Jayantha.

Referee: Walter Pereira.