Mohun Bagan knock out Mohammedan from Durand Cup

by

New Delhi: In their season opener, Mohun Bagan did just enough for a winning start to their Durand Cup campaign, though rustiness was evident in their 3-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting on Thursday.

Considering they have bigger battles ahead, not least the AFC Asian Champions League 2 group stage from mid-September, Bagan players need to be at their sharpest quickly.

But since they say well begun is half done, the sight of Liston Colaco swerving a free-kick into the net and then setting up Suhail Bhat for a close-range finish before rounding it off with a penalty that he won should be enough to make them happy.

Considering they were without any of their foreigners and head coach Jose Molina, who will fly in on Friday, it was a decent outing for the 17-time record champions Bagan at their home of Salt Lake stadium.

Red card for Apuia

Only Apuia’s red card for a headbutt just at the stroke of halftime would be the dampener that could have been easily avoided.

It forced the Mariners to play with a man down for over 45 minutes, which must have been tiresome for players who began their training only a week ago.

The red card was an unexpected gift for Mohammedan and they made use of it when Vishal Kaith could only parry Lalthankima’s pile driver into the path of Ashley Koli on 49 minutes.

For a brief period of around 10 minutes during this phase of play, Mohammedan had their tail up.

But with limited resources, they could do only that much as they fell behind on 62 minutes when Colaco’s back heel enabled Bhat to have a crack at goal and find the target on his second attempt.

It restored the pattern of the game that was set up by Colaco’s bending free-kick on 23 minutes.

With their second successive loss in the group after their 2-1 defeat to Diamond Harbour, cash-strapped Mohammedan made an early exit from the tournament they have won twice.

In Thursday’s other match, Bodoland FC defeated debutants Karbi Anglong Morning Star 2-1 in Kokrajhar.