Three matches, three defeats, zero goals scored, seven goals conceded and rooted to the bottom of the table. Robbie Fowler’s SC East Bengal was condemned to another loss while an unbeaten-NorthEast United (NEUFC) moved to second in the Indian Super League (ISL) with a 2-0 win at Tilak Maidan in Vasco, Goa on Saturday.

In the words of Fowler, East Bengal's display was again a ‘work in progress’, ‘offering glimpses of what it can do’, while playing football the ‘right way’. However, the manner of the defeat and the goals conceded highlighted East Bengal’s struggles and the limitations with its personnel. It dominated possession (57 per cent) by flooding its men forward, struggled to find the penetrative pass into the final third before getting picked on the counter.

NEUFC head coach Gerard Nus has adopted his approach to the strength of his personnel; disciplined and organised in defence and break forward to exploit the space left behind by the opposition. Winger Ninthoinganba Meetei was incisive with his direct running and delivered dangerous crosses into the box.

For the majority of the first 30 minutes, East Bengal pinned NEUFC into its own half without much success. But right after the water break, Narayan Das conceded possession from which a long ball was knocked down into space on the right for Kwesi Appiah, who fired a fierce cross. The ball struck an unsighted Surchandra Singh, who was marking Idrissa Sylla, and rolled into the goal, catching East Bengal’s defence flat-footed.

East Bengal would feel it was hard done by when a couple of genuine penalty shouts didn’t go its way. Ashutosh Mehta brought down Jacques Maghoma inside the box in the 19th minute and an Anthony Pilkington shot struck the arm of Mashoor Shereef from close range at the hour mark.

Fowler rang in multiple changes in the second period – C. K. Vineeth, Abhishek Ambekar, Mohammed Rafique, Eugeneson Lyngdoh – but couldn’t break down a sturdy defence.

With East Bengal pushing high for the equaliser, it was NEUFC’s substitutes, who combined to deliver the killer blow in the 90th minute. V. P. Suhair, who was released down the right flank, delivered an inviting ball across the face of the goal for Rochharzela to slot it past ‘keeper Debjit Majumder.