Frontrunners East Bengal stayed on course for the title edging past ITI 1-0 in the seventh National Football League exchange in Kolkata Saturday.

The tournament's leading scorer Mike Okoro fired the only goal early in the first half to bolster the local giants' points tally to 37 from 15 outings. ITI have got only four.

Following a centre from the right by wing back Surya Bikash Chakraborty, Kuluthungon nodded down the ball inside the box for Okoro, who directed it in with a right footer on the run in the tenth minute.

The Nigerian now has 13 goals in the tournament, three more than his nearest rival George Ekeh of Mohun Bagan.

ITI, reduced to defending for most part of the match, also got some opportunities and the closest they came to scoring was in the 20th minute when referee Krishan Avtar awarded them a penalty.

A floater from the right saw Jude Nwadu going for a header inside the box, and a desperate Chandan Das brought him down from behind, resulting in a spot kick.

But Nwadu's spot kick hit the bar and rebounded into play much to the relief of a few thousand East Bengal supporters at the Salt Lake stadium.

East Bengal defenders Dipak Mandal and M Suresh also played their part in denying the ITI strikers. The former effected two goal line saves in the opening session, while the latter did the same in the second half.

East Bengal, however, could have ended the day with a bigger goal margin, but for Okoro, Kulothungon and S Malswamtluanga, who squandered easy opportunities.