Substitute Lalkhawpuimawia scored a late winner as Aizawl FC beat East Bengal for their season’s first win in a five-goal thriller at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Mizoram on Saturday.
Midfielder Leonce Dodoz put the home team ahead in the 26th minute but a late second-half surge from East Bengal saw the visitors scored twice within eight minutes to go 2-1 up. Lalkhawpuimawia then netted the winner six minutes before time to clinch three points for his side and guide them to their maiden victory this I-League.
The victory lifted Aizawl to eighth in the table. They now have five points from six matches, while East Bengal remained on fourth with the same number of points from just four games.
East Bengal started well with Jobby Justin getting a number of opportunities but the striker was found wanting in front of goal and instead it was Aizawl, who took the lead against the run of play.
Dodoz was always going to be a main threat for the home team and he nearly scored in the 24th minute with Ubaid CK pulling out a great save, but the Aizawl No.10 was not to be denied two minutes later.
Lalrin Fela’s shot was initially saved by Ubaid but Dodoz was at the right place in the right time to score from the rebound.
The game then took a controversial turn after the referee denied goals to both the sides of which East Bengal were the unlucky ones. Lalramchullova’s free-kick in the 40th minute struck the upright and then bounced off after crossing the goal-line. But the referee quashed all claims with Jhonny Acosta and Enrique Esqueda failing to score from the loose ball.
But that did not stop the visitors from finding the net in the second half with Justin heading in another free-kick from Chullova in the 62nd minute.
They took the lead eight minutes later through Borja Gomez Perez after initial attempts by Esqueda and Kassim Aidara was blocked from a Chullova corner.
Their joy though lasted only for three minutes when Joe Zoherliana found the net after Ubaid had failed to collect substitute David Lalbiakzara’s corner in the 73rd minute.
Aizawl’s substitutes made instant impacts and while Lalbiakzara tested Ubaid with a shot, it was another substitute Lalkhawpuimawia, who struck the winner with a ferocious volley after receiving an inch-perfect cross from Dodoz.