Within 94 minutes after receiving the last season’s CFL winner’s trophy from Mayor Firhad Hakim, East Bengal ensured their second consecutive CFL title at home on Monday.

The post-match jubilation of the fans may indicate that the red-and-gold brigade grabbed the title effortlessly. The first 45 minutes looked alike. East Bengal had superiority. They created opportunities. Their ISL-experienced footballers, like David, PV Vishnu, and Sayan Bannerjee, missed a series of sitters before David drew first blood in the 43rd minute. United custodian Raunak Ghosh was brilliant, saving his team from conceding a couple of goals in the first session.

But United Sports bounced back after the break. Exhibiting excellent passing football that helped gain possession in the middle third, United Sports put East Bengal’s midfield and defenders to embarrassment.

The reflection was vivid when Amit Basak equaled the score-line with a header from inside the box on a measured center from Srinath M from right.

The impact of pressure by the United Sports also transpired among the fans as they looked scared and started offering abusive chanting continuously out of frustration.

East Bengal would have been the League champion even with a 1-1 draw. Still Shyamal Besra gave them the lead in the 89th minute from a goalmouth melee. But before East Bengal took the lead, United Sports were clearly deprived of a spot-kick when Dipesh Murmu was pushed from behind inside the box as the ball was in front of him, and East Bengal custodian was in a dilemma while coming forward to ward off the movement. The score-line could have been 2-1 in favor of United Sports.

Lalkamal Bhowmick, the coach of United Sports, said, “East Bengal won the title. But today their victory was tarnished by the referee. It was not a fair victory.”