Chennai, March 21 : East Bengal beat Sethu FC 4-2 in a high-scoring encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Friday to extend their lead at the top of the IWL 2024-25 table. The Red and Golds led 3-1 at half-time.

Elshaddai Acheampong (5' p, 16') scored an early brace, setting the tempo for East Bengal. Resty Nanziri (45+3') and Soumya Guguloth (88') added one each to make it a comfortable win for the away side. Amnah Nababi (18') and Hadijah Nandago (64') scored one each for Sethu FC.

This win sees East Bengal extend their lead at the top of the table to four points. They are on 24 points from nine matches. Sethu, meanwhile, languish at sixth with 10 points from nine matches, just one point ahead of Kickstart FC Karnataka in the drop zone.

East Bengal opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Elshaddai Acheampong was brought down inside the box, while through on goal. The referee duly pointed to the spot and Acheampong stepped up to put away her spot kick into the bottom corner.

It took East Bengal a mere ten more minutes to double their lead, Acheampong again causing havoc in the Sethu defence. Having picked up the ball 30 yards from goal, the Ghanaian charged through, brushing aside Sethu's defenders with ease, before finishing neatly into the far bottom corner from inside the box.

Sethu, to their credit, pulled one back in the 18th minute when Hadijah Nandago capitalised on a loose aerial ball in the box to lob it past a charging Panthoi Chanu. The keeper even took a knee to her ribs for her troubles, causing a brief interruption in play.

East Bengal did not let Sethu capitalise on their goal though and kept the pressure dialled high. In first-half injury time, they got a third, when Resty Nanziri charged in from the right side of the box for slamming a strong shot towards the goal from a tight angle. Despite getting a hand to it, Sarangthem Khambi Chanu could do nothing to stop it going into the net.

Sethu struck again just after the hour mark in the second half when Nandago slammed in a cut-back from the right flank into the net. It was a goal constructed off a swift breakaway and finished with ease. The momentum suddenly shifted to the hosts and their right flank in particular threatening East Bengal's defence.

Sethu's lack of guile in the final third let them down though and as time ticked away East Bengal were able to keep them at bay and control the game. In the 88th minute, Soumya Guguloth effectively killed the game with a fourth for East Bengal. Acheampong' having drifted in from the left flank, drew Sethu's defenders to her and laid the ball to Guguloth's run from the right flank. The India international neatly finished in the bottom corner.

/IANS