JCT, Dempo in Durand Cup semi-final, East Bengal crash out

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) JCT, Phagwara and Dempo Sports Club, Goa played out a lacklustre 1-1 draw but still booked their semi-final berths in the 119th Osian's Durand Cup football tournament here today.

In a Group II quarter-final league match, Mandeep Singh (64th minute) put the Punjab side ahead but Isfaq Ahmed equalised three minutes later (67th).

After today's draw, both the sides have collected five points from one win and two draws. JCT, however, top the group on better goal difference of four to Dempo's one.

JCT will play Group I runners-up Sporting Clube-de-Goa while Dempo take on Group I winners Mohun Bagan in the semi-finals tomorrow.

Later in an inconsequential match of the group, East Bengal suffered a humiliating 1-2 defeat at the hands of defending champions Army XI. This was the Kolkata league champion side's second defeat, having lost 0-4 to JCT on Wednesday and they finished last in the group with just one point earned from a draw against Dempo.

Vijay Thapa (48th and 68th minutes) scored a brace for Army XI while Alvito De Cunha found the target in the 54th minute for the 16-time champions.

Having virtually assured of semi-final berths before today's match by virtue of three point lead over East Bengal and Army XI and better goal difference, JCT and Dempo played an agonisingly dull and drab first half and the first shot on target by any side was by Bimal Birua of JCT in the 58th minute.

But, after that the match suddenly came to life and a Daljit Singh throw in from right touchline fell in front of Parveen Kumar after a tussle inside the penalty box and the JCT striker sent a volley that crashed into the net.

Dempo took just three minutes to find the equaliser and Isfaq Ahmed blasted a low drive from inside the JCT box after being fed by captain Roberto Silva (Beto).

Once the JCT-Dempo tie ended in a draw, the match between East Bengal and Army XI was reduced to an academic affair but the defending champions and the Kolkata giants played for pride.

They shared the honours in the barren first session which saw Army's Vijay Thapa firing over the bar in the 15th minute on a rebound from the goalkeeper who failed to properly hold a Thirunavakarsu long ranger.

In the 32nd minute, East Bengal's Hardeep Singh Saini failed to place the ball into the net when the rival goalkeeper was out of position and Army defender S Ramesh cleared it for a corner.

Three minutes into the second half, Vijay Thapa fired a low volley into the net after a goalmouth tussle to put Army XI in the lead.

Six minutes later, captain Alvito scored East Bengal's first goal in the tournament, firing a low shot after Freddy Mascarenhas got a the better of a couple of defenders and sent a diagonal pass to Alvito from near the goaline.

But, the gritty Army outfit exposed the porous East Bengal defence with Vijay Thapa scoring his second goal in the 68th minute to register the only win for the defending champions.

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