22-year wait ends in style: Lalrindika hat-trick powers East Bengal to Durand Cup title
East Bengal's 22-year wait for the Durand Cup is finally over — and they ended it by beating their fiercest rivals.
East Bengal crushed Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 in the Kolkata derby at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, with Edmund Lalrindika scoring a hat-trick as the club secured its 17th Durand Cup title.
It was a stunning first-half performance from East Bengal, who found the net four times before the break and left Mohun Bagan facing an almost impossible comeback.
Lalrindika was at the centre of it all.
Playing as the lone forward, the striker struck twice inside the opening 22 minutes before completing his hat-trick just before half-time. His third goal came in the 44th minute after Mohammed Rashid supplied the assist.
East Bengal had already taken the lead in the 10th minute when Rashid created the opening for Bipin Singh.
Lalrindika then doubled the advantage two minutes later before adding another in the 22nd minute.
Mohun Bagan briefly threatened to change the course of the final when Manvir Singh reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute. But East Bengal responded before the interval, with Lalrindika finding the net again to restore their three-goal advantage.
East Bengal turn the final into a one-sided derby
With Rashid controlling the midfield, East Bengal maintained their shape and continued to frustrate Mohun Bagan after the break.
The Mariners could not find another way through, while East Bengal protected their advantage to complete a memorable 4-1 victory.
The win also carries an element of revenge for East Bengal. Mohun Bagan had beaten them 1-0 in the 2023 Durand Cup final, a result that gave the Mariners their 17th title at the time.
Three years later, East Bengal have matched that tally.
The victory takes East Bengal to 17 Durand Cup titles, drawing them level with Mohun Bagan in the competition's 135-year history.
But for East Bengal, the number that will matter just as much is 22.
After more than two decades without the trophy, they have finally brought the Durand Cup back — by beating Mohun Bagan in a derby and producing a hat-trick hero in Lalrindika.
With PTI inputs