Shillong: East Bengal FC crushed CISF Protectors 8-0 on Friday at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. This Group A Durand Cup match put the Red-and-Gold back on track after a derby defeat. The hosts grabbed three points with a ruthless second-half display.
Vishnu P.V. led the charge with a hat-trick. Jesin T.K. added two goals. Jeakson Singh also scored. CISF captain Mohammad Khalid conceded an own goal. Bipin Singh netted the final strike.
The visitors stood firm for 38 minutes. They used a disciplined low block to stall the hosts. Then the dam broke. Vishnu scored on a backheel finish. Four minutes later, Khalid directed a low cross into his own net. Daniel Ramirez set up Jeakson for the third goal just before the halftime whistle.
East Bengal stayed hungry after the break. Sandip Mandi served a cross in the 47th minute. Vishnu finished with a spectacular overhead kick. Bipin Singh slotted home the fifth goal in the 64th minute. Jesin T.K. found the net twice more as the defense crumbled. Vishnu secured his hat-trick in the closing minutes.
The lopsided result equaled the largest margin of victory in tournament history. Head coach Oscar Bruzon had demanded a response after the derby loss. The team delivered. The hosts pressured the wings through Edmund Lalrindika and Hardik Bhatt throughout the night. Phurba Lachenpa remained largely untested in the East Bengal goal. CISF attackers Jacob C. and Jatinder Kumar failed to mount a serious challenge. The win keeps East Bengal firmly in the running for a knockout spot. As the match concluded, the club noted, "The emphatic win earned the Kolkata giants their first three points of the campaign."
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