31 August,2009 11:24 AM IST | | IANS
Kolkata's Mohammedan Sporting and Mumbai's Air India won their group league encounters on the inaugural day of the 114th IFA Shield football tournament Sunday.
In group B, Sporting rode on an early strike from Dipendu Biswas to prevail 1-0 over Shillong's Lajong FC at the Mohun Bagan ground.
Air India got the better of Pune FC 2-1 in a group D tie at Howrah Municipal Stadium. N D Opara and Ravinder Singh found the target for the winners, while Arata Izumi pulled one back for the Pune team.
Dipendu Biswas got the all-important 14th minute goal for Sporting by putting in a pass from Brazilian Edu during an insipid game that saw the city side hamstrung by a non-functional midfield while Lajong looked incohesive.
The only silver lining for Lajong was the display of Michael Bassey, who repeatedly harassed the Sporting defenders.
However, the Kolkata side squandered the easiest of opportunities to forge into the lead in the 67th minute. Daniel Bedemi's foul on Edu earned Sporting a penalty, but the Brazilian's set piece was saved by Gumphe Rime.
In the other match, the airmen drew first blood in the tenth minute.
A Tapan Maity centre from the left was headed by Opara, and Pune FC goalkeeper M. Balaji managed only a partial clearance. Bopara was quick to let go a left footer into the net.
Down 0-1 at the breather, Pune FC drew parity in the 48th minute when Japanese Arata stabbed home a Je Je Lalpekhnua final pass.
But the deadlock lasted for only eight minutes. Pune defender Caitani Costa committed a handball inside his own box and referee Mrinangshu Bhattacharya had no hesitation in signalling a penalty. Ravinder Singh scored the winner.
