Bengaluru FC were consigned to their first defeat at home this season, going down 0-2 to East Bengal at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Sunday. Goals by James Moga and Chidi Edeh scored in either half as Bengaluru FC were left to rue ample missed chances through the game.

Coach Ashley Westwood dabbled with a few changes from last week’s win over Mohammedan Sporting starting Thoi Singh on the right in place of Beikhokhei as Siam Hanghal earned a spot in the team. First-choice ’keeper Pawan Kumar missed the game with a sore groin, handing a debut to youngster Soram Poirei. NS Manju partnered Curtis Osano in the centre of defence as John Johnson missed out with four bookings.

Bengaluru began with the pace Westwood usually demands from his team while East Bengal chose to feed their strikers with long balls. The visitors’ ploy clicked in the 17th minute when Raju Gaikwad launched one that found Moga. Poirei charged out leaving the South Sudanese striker with the task of getting past him and slotting into an empty goal.

Bengaluru almost had a reply less than ten minutes later when Sean Rooney’s header off Rino Anto’s cross hit the post before going out. Bengaluru FC did the right things until they reached the attacking third, after that, it was all about fluffed chances.

Westwood threw in Beikho for Thoi in the second half and Bengaluru had their best chance just two minutes later. Picking up a slipped ball on the left, Darren Caldeira attempted placing home at the far post only to miss it by inches.

Just when they seemed like getting one back, luck eluded Bengaluru FC. Feeding off a Sunil Chhetri lay off, Hanghal unleashed a scorcher that came off the post. Just two minutes later, it was Rooney’s turn to smash home only for ’keeper Gurpreet Sandhu to pull off a fine diving save.

East Bengal were happy to slow down the game even as Bengaluru pressed hard for the goal. However, the hosts found it a mountain to climb as Edeh scored East Bengal’s second in the 78th minute. Picked out on the left, Edeh’s strike took a bit of Poirei’s hand before going in.

It was a day when nothing Bengaluru FC would do would count. John Menyongar slid in a cross that had no one at the end of it with only Sandhu to beat. The second half saw seven minutes of added time but even that wasn’t enough as Bengaluru’s winning run was halted at home. Bengaluru are still leading the table with 27 points from 14 games.