A late header from defender Alan Costa ensured a triumphant return for Bengaluru FC to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium as the side edged NorthEast United FC 1-0 on Saturday.
The 87th minute goal came from a corner as the 6’3” Brazilian towered above the defence to meet fine ball from Javi Hernandez. But the match ended in acrimony when an injury-time equaliser from Ion Gaztanaga was ruled out for offside, much to the chagrin of the coach Mark Balbul, who was sent off for protesting.
It was a part-lively, part-tepid performance from BFC. From the outset the idea was to exploit the pace of N. Sivasakthi and Roy Krishna. Long-range passes from Suresh Wangjam and Prabir Das to the two forwards were a constant feature.
