A new-look but profligate Emami East Bengal played out a goalless draw against Indian Navy in a Group B Durand Cup clash at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday. Playing their first match of the season, the red-and-gold brigade was dominating in the second half but could not find the goal.

Their best chance came in the 54th minute when captain Sumit Passi’s brilliant strike from 30 yards beat Navy keeper Vishnu but the ball ricochetted off after hitting the post. Coach Stephen Constantine opted for a four-man midfield and an all-Indian XI.

The former India manager’s plans went haywire right at the start when Mahesh Singh was injured in the eighth minute and was replaced by Tuhin Das. But still, EB looked a better side even as the Navy men held on in the first 45 minutes.

VP Suhair was impressive and had a role in most of their attacks. In the 17th minute, Suhair broke through inside the box and played it out wide off Tuhin Das, whose cross back found Amarjit Kiyam in space. But the midfielder could not get the direction right. “We had 14 sessions since I came, 10 of which were focused on running to get the players fit. We have had virtually no football training. “I am happy that we started the way we did. We could still have scored enough to win two football games,” Constantine said later.

Constantine brought in midfielder Souvik Chakraborty and forward Mahitosh Roy in place of Angousana and Kiyam to introduce fresh legs.

Just before the drinks break, Suhair found Passi’s run in the box with a wonderful defence-splitting cross, but the striker hit straight at the keeper. The 24-year-old Jordan O’Doherty is team’s Asian quota player. In Imphal, Hyderabad FC began their campaign with a 2-0 win over TRAU FC.