East Bengal entered the Super Six of the CFL Premier Division, defeating a 10-man Calcutta Customs 2-0 at the club ground on Sunday.
Manotos Maji and Akash Hemram scored in the fifth and 36th minutes, respectively.
Captain Tanmoy Das carried the ball into the box and set up Maji for a clinical finish. Customs defender Manoranjan Singh’s failed clearance saw Hemram latch onto the ball and tuck it into the net.
Singh got the red card in the 72nd minute.
East Bengal now have 23 points from nine matches with two more group-stage matches remaining.
Bhawanipore Club and Mohun Bagan Super Giant have already made the grade.
In other matches, Calcutta Police Club prevailed over ASOS Rainbow Athletic Club 2-1 at the Kalyani B Stadium, while Peerless Sports Club defeated Police Athletic Club 3-1 at the Naihati Stadium.
New signings
East Bengal roped in Raynier Fernandes on a one-year contract.
The Indian national team attacking midfielder scored a hat-trick for the now-defunct Jamshedpur FC in the 2026 Durand Cup.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant too got a boost. They signed Scottish striker Lee Erwin on a one-year contract.
The 32-year-old, who stands at 6-foot-2, is primarily a box striker. He has a knack for opening the scoring and is known for his clinical finishing.
Erwin joins Bagan after a stint with Jordanian club Al Faisaly last season.
“I had offers from quite a few ISL clubs, but Mohun Bagan is the biggest club in the country, so I accepted their offer,” he said.