New Delhi: East Bengal’s return to Asian club competitions after nine years was not only short-lived after they got undone 2-3 at home by Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr but it also punctured euphoria of poaching a player from Mohun Bagan and buying highly-rated foreigners in the summer transfer window.
They began brightly with new signing David Lalhlansanga bundling in from close range in the sixth minute. But Altyn Asyr took it and the vocal crowd at the Salt Lake stadium in their stride.
They kept faith in their crisp passes and quick movement to pull the East Bengal defenders out of position to equalise through Myrat Annayev’s well directed volley in the 17th minute and consolidated their supremacy 11 minutes later when Nurmyradov Selim’s free-kick kept Prabhsukhan Singh Gill rooted in the goal-line and went in.
The visitors could have scored more before half-time but went into the break 2-1 ahead. They kept their grip and went two goals head within seven minutes after restart with Mihail Titov tapping in from three yards after a quick exchanges of passes stretched the EB defence.
East Bengal had started with only three foreigners and were forced to bring on the remaining two from the bench in order to find a way back.
Saul Crespo gave them hope with a smart side footed finish on the far post just before the hour mark, using his marker as a screen to blind-side the Altyn Asyr keeper.
But despite hitting the bar and having a goal disallowed for an apparent foul on the goalie and braving to keep their back vacant, they couldn’t find a way to score that third goal and would now play in the group stage of the AFC Challenge League.
East Bengal went down 2-3 to Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr in their the AFC Champions League Two Preliminary Stage match. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
