Mohun Bagan Super Giant pipped their arch-rivals East Bengal FC by 2-0 in the high-octane Kolkata Derby in the Indian Super League at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant controlled the tempo of the match from start to finish, as a goal each from Jamie Maclaren and Dimitrios Petratos in either half was enough for Jose Molina’s men to secure their eighth win against the Red & Gold Brigade in ISL.
The players took their time to settle into the electrifying atmosphere of 60,000 odd fans buzzing at the stadium. It was a tight start, with both teams wrestling for the authority in midfield. However, the first chance fell to Maclaren in the 18th minute when Greg Stewart found the Australian with a beautiful cross.
However, Prabhsukhan Gill brilliantly denied Maclaren from point-blank range. A minute later, Mohun Bagan Super Giant had the ball in the back of the net from a corner but the goal was chalked off as Manvir Singh was flagged offside.
Despite the frustration, the Mariners maintained a high momentum and tested the Red and Gold Brigade with a barrage of attacks. In the 25th minute, they came close to scoring when Stewart found Manvir in the box. The Indian forward tested Gill with a telling header but once again the East Bengal custodian stood up to the task.
Their relentless attacks finally bore fruit in the 41st minute when Manvir Singh with a sensational cross, found Maclaren in space. The Australian tucked it past Gill to hand Mohun Bagan Super Giant the lead.
The second half saw more of the same as Mohun Bagan Super Giant enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and also had more teeth in their attacking moves. In the 59th minute, the Mariners had a brilliant chance to double their lead when Liston Colaco found space on the right flank. He started a vicious counter-attack but he decided to pull the trigger from long range due to lack of support in the penalty area. His effort didn’t have enough venom to beat Gill under the sticks.
Looking at East Bengal FC’s situation in attack, head coach Oscar Bruzon turned to star forward Dimitrios Diamantakos to add more panache upfront. The new tactician also brought on youngsters like Jesin TK, Lalchungnunga and Sayan Banerjee to add more energy. Reacting to East Bengal’s changes, Jose Molina also turned to Dimitrios Petratos.
The 31-year-old didn’t disappoint his fans as he earned a crucial penalty in the 89th minute following a reckless tackle from Gill. Petratos made no mistake from the spot to double the lead for the Mariners. Eventually, the two goals were enough for Molina’s men to hold the fort for the last few minutes.
