At the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Mohun Bagan Super Giant delivered a commanding display to brush aside Diamond Harbour FC 5-1 and secure top spot in Group B of the Durand Cup 2025.
An early strike from Anirudh Thapa was briefly cancelled out by Luka Majcen, but the Mariners roared back with goals from Jamie Maclaren, Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Jason Cummings to cruise into the knockouts. The defeat leaves Diamond Harbour’s fate hanging on other results, as they chase a place in the next round as one of the best group runners-up.
Mohun Bagan struck first in the 19th minute when Anirudh Thapa latched onto a first-time pass at the edge of the penalty area and bent an exquisite shot into the top corner. The lead, however, lasted just four minutes. A defensive lapse from the Mariners left Luka Majcen unmarked in the box, and he made no mistake, calmly slotting past Vishal Kaith to level matters.
For much of the half, the contest was evenly fought, but the hosts regained the upper hand in the 33rd minute. A misdirected goal-kick from Diamond Harbour’s custodian was intercepted by Jamie Maclaren, who instantly applied a clinical toe-poke finish to restore Bagan’s lead. The Mariners entered the break 2-1 ahead, buoyed by their relentless pressing and swift attacking transitions.
The second half began brightly for Mohun Bagan, and their momentum grew when they were handed a golden opportunity just minutes after the restart. Liston Colaco’s incisive run into the box was halted illegally by Naresh Singh Yendrembam, earning the defender a direct red card and reducing Diamond Harbour to ten men. Colaco picked himself up and dispatched the spot-kick with confidence, wrong-footing the goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
With a numerical advantage and control in midfield, Thapa and Sahal choreographed attack after attack. The fourth goal arrived in the 64th minute after a defensive misjudgment left Sahal with the ball at his feet inside the area – he finished with trademark composure.
The evening was capped in the 80th minute when Jason Cummings found himself in space on the edge of the box. Fed by a pinpoint pass, the Australian forward curled the ball into the net, rounding off a dominant 5-1 performance.