Myrat annayev

AFC Champions League Two Preliminary: East Bengal FC’s campaign in the AFC Champions League Two Preliminary Stage came to an early end when they went down to Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FC 2-3 at the floodlit Yuba Bharati Kriangan. East Bengal will now feature in the AFC Challenge League Group Stage.

Played under overcast conditions in front of a sizeable home crowd, the visitors had the last laugh despite trailing by a seventh-minute goal. They recovered quickly to pump in two goals to lead 2-1 at half-time and struck once more in the second session before East Bengal could reduce the margin to give the scoreline a respectable look.

After a few repeated raids at the rival goal, East Bengal took the lead when a measured cross from the left by Nandhakumar Sekar was headed in by an unmarked David Lalhlansanga with equal smartness, but the woodwork prevented the ball from going in. The rebound fell to David again; this time, he didn’t commit a mistake, leaving the home fans ecstatic.