MARGAO: In a high-scoring encounter, Churchill Brothers beat Sporting Clube de Goa 8-4 to move to the top of the I-League here on Sunday.
Bineesh Balan (ninth minute, 38, 40) recorded a hat-trick, while Henry Antchouet (45+2, 59), Roberto Mendes de Silva (69, 71) and Akram Moghrabi (80) also chipped in.
Sporting actually took a 2-1 lead thanks to Ogba Nnanna (20) and Joseph Pereira (34), before Churchill scored seven goals on the trot.
Pereira and Seiya Sugishita (90+2 and 90+3) reduced the deficit somewhat, towards the end of the game.
Meanwhile, in Kolkata, East Bengal suffered their first loss in the I-League this year courtesy a 0-1 defeat to Prayag United.
Nigerian goal-machine Ranty Martins found the winner late in the second half (75). EB lost to the same opponents by the same margin in last season’s I-League meeting. (PTI)
