ATK earned a vital away 2-1 win over Delhi Dynamos at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. Balwant Singh and Noussair El Mounaini scored for ATK to ease the pressure on under-fire coach Steve Coppell while Pritam Kotal had equaliser earlier for the Dynamos.
This was the Kolkata club’s first points of the season.
The home team started with the full-backs, Narayan Das and Kotal that started the 0-0 draw for India against China. Youngster Shubham Sarangi also started for the hosts in midfield, as Delhi boasted a youthful line-up. ATK started with Komal Thatal behind Kalu Uche, who returned to the JLN to face his former club.
Balwant Singh broke a long-standing goal drought as he scored for the first time in eight ISL games. Former Goa creative midfileder Manuel Lanzarote played a beautiful through ball onto the path of the ex-Mumbai City striker.
Singh took a step forward and then checked back across Kotal, curling the ball beyond Dorronsorro in the Delhi goal.
Delhi would get their equaliser in the second half, as captain Kotal made amends for his mistake for the first goal.
Rene Mihelic’s corner was headed back towards the near post by Rana Gharami. Kotal, on the end of it, headed it past Arindam Bhattacharjya in the ATK goal.
The visitors had the final laugh as Noussair El Mounaini, on for Kalu Uche, swept Jayesh Rane’s cutback in a first-time shot which beat Dorronsorro, ricocheting off the post and going in with less than 10 minutes left.
ATK now have three points from three matches while Delhi have one from their first two.