Qualifiers Army XI went down 1-3 to East Bengal after giving the National Football League champions a stiff challenge in a Durand Cup quarter-final league match in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Armymen were leading 1-0 at half-time before the red and yellow men changed gears to bag the full three points in their opening Group B encounter.

After conceding the lead in the 24th minute to a snap lob by defender Angam from near the centre circle, East Bengal equalised in the very first minute of the second half through Brazilian striker Paulo Da Silva.

The second and third goals were scored by captain Chandan Das (63rd minute) and Paulo (70) converting spot kicks. The second penalty also led to the ejection of Angam as Army fought and averted further damage with 10-men.

Earlier, the Tata Football Academy boys gave a much improved display but still went down to Dempo Sports Club 1-2 in Group D.

After a goalless first half, Dempo took the lead in the 56th minute through Johnny D'Cruz who bulged the net with a rasping right footer from the top of the box, collecting a pass from Nigerian Ronty Martins.

Dempo then doubled the lead five minutes later when Martins scored after beating his marker with a sharp turn. The move developed through the centre from Lazarus Fernandes who found Martins with an accurate cross.

But TFA boys, egged on by the sparse crowd, really went all out in the last 10 minutes as they stretched Dempo.      TFA reduced the margin in the 71st minute when Lalam Puia superbly bended a free kick, over the wall, that thudded the right corner of the net leaving goalkeeper Satish Kumar static.

The boys soon came up with more raids on the rival goal in search of the equaliser as Mark Fernandez and Satish Kumar repeatedly weaved in. The duo, together with Puia, was the most impressive as they troubled Dempo defenders with superb ball control, quick runs and deft turns.

TFA again went close to restoring parity in the two minutes of injury time but Satish failed to score from close after some brilliant work by Robert Lalthalma and Mark to set up the chance.

In the other match, the Army XI took East Bengal, which missed eight of their top stars including Baichung Bhutia, head on led by skipper Raghu Kumar, one of several players who played for Services in the Santosh Trophy.

Army frustrated the depleted East Bengal team throughout the first half and piled on the agony taking the lead. It looked a harmless ball when Angam took the free kick but soon his lob surprised one and all as it bounced in front of 'keeper Rajat Ghosh Dastidar and went over his head into the post.

East Bengal soon replaced an off-colour Nitin Pradhan with Bijen Singh and came out blazing after the break. Even before Army realised what hit them, Rahim Nabi and Douglas Santos, the second Brazilian in red and yellow, split the defence and found Paulo who neatly slotted the ball in to redeem the champions' pride.

After the ball revolved in the Army half for a considerable period, the Kolkatans took the lead after the hour mark when Douglas was brought down inside the box by Ramesh. Chandan beat Abun Gopi Singh with a booming shot that thudded into the left corner of the net.

East Bengal were now all the more in control and soon the third goal came in controversial fashion in the 70th minute.

Bijen went up through the right squared the ball to Paulo whose powerful shot crashed into the hands of Angam, trying to make a goalline save. The Army men got into a fierce argument with referee Abdul Saleem, almost pushing and shoving him, arguing that Paulo had first handled the ball.

In the end, nothing changed as Army were reduced to 10-men and Paulo converted the penalty to make it 3-1.