Thaindian News

Kolkata, Sep 9 (IANS) Overcoming the handicap of being a man short for 80 minutes, Mohun Bagan prevailed over United S.C. 5-4 in the tie-break here Wednesday to make their way into the finals of the 114th IFA Shield football tournament.
The semi-final outing at the Salt Lake stadium began on a wrong note as Bagan’s main striker Edeh Chidi - a la Zinedine Zidane - headbutted United rearguard Eduardo Chacon in the 10th minute after a scuffle that saw both going for an aerial ball, colliding and falling straight to the newly laid synthetic turf.

Chidi got up and did the Zidane act, which earned him a red card from referee O.P. Thakur, while Educardo escaped with a yellow booking.

K. Kulothungon then moved up and Bagan managed to hold their opponents goalless in regulation time and extra time.

Before the penalty shootout, Bagan coach Karim Bencharifa brought in Sangram Mukherjee in place of Shilton Paul. The move paid didvidends as Mukherjee thwarted Jayanta Sen’s set piece which ensured Bagan’s victory.

For Bagan, Marcos Pereira, Rakesh Masih, Snehashish Chakrabarty, Sur Kumar Singh and James Singh converted the penalties, while P.C. Lalawmpuia, Eduardo, Lal Kamal Bhowmick and Subhashish Roy Chowdhury were successful for United. But Mukherjee’s spectacular save ended United’s campaign in the tourney.