Bengaluru, NorthEast play out pulsating 2-2 draw

Margao (Goa), Dec 8 : Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United settled for a 2-2 draw at the end of a pulsating fixture in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday. NorthEast striker Luis Machado scored a brace while defender Juanan and winger Udanta Singh scored for Bengaluru as both sides traded blows throughout the match.
Bengaluru dominated possession, ending the match with 62 per cent of the ball and took as many as 17 shots, only six of which were on target. NorthEast took seven shots but five of them were on target.
Gerard Nus’ men took the lead early with Machado deflecting a shot from Roccharzela into goal in the fourth minute of the match. Bengaluru, however, responded by coming out all guns blazing at the restart and equalised 10 minutes later. Rahul Bheke’s throw in triggered chaos in the NorthEast box and Juanan fired it in with a first-time shot when the ball fell loose in front of him.
Bengaluru dominated proceedings in the first half after that and were rather wasteful of the chances they got. Ashique Kuruniyan fired wide after a terrific run in 19th minute and Harmanjot Khabra found himself inside the box with an open sight on goal seven minutes later, only to miss the target.
They sustained that pressure in the second half and that, coupled with some horrendous defending from Dylan Fox, helped Bengaluru take the lead in the 70th minute. Sunil Chhetri’s header directed at the far post came to Fox but he fluffed his clearance, allowing the ball to roll onto the path of Udanta, whose shot went past NorthEast goalkeeper Gurmeet’s hands.
Eight minutes later, however, NorthEast equalised after Juanan failed to deal with a ball from midfield and allowed Machado to take the ball and shoot it past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The goal led to a frenetic final quarter with both teams getting chances to score a winner. But neither managed a goal and they left the field with a point each.