Kolkata: It was supposed to be an evening of fun. Instead, it turned feisty. The hand of the player Mohun Bagan Super Giant fans call “Dimi-god” played a part as did a confrontation between Ashique Kuruniyan and Boris Singh and then between Kuruniyan and Iker Guarrotxena. In the end, the contest between two free-scoring teams was decided by two errors from FC Goa.
When Mohun Bagan Super Giant were leading 1-0 in the 62nd minute, they had no shots on target. The clock showed 93:16 when they did get one, Greg Stewart rolling the ball in to make it 2-0. This was a Saturday evening show full of surprises. About the only constant was Mohun Bagan staying unbeaten at home this term, winning 11 matches after beginning with a 2-2 draw against Mumbai City FC. Eight points separated the first two teams, the most in the history of the Indian Super League (ISL).
Mohun Bagan and FC Goa played like teams first and second in ISL11 standings. Yes, the league shield has been Mohun Bagan’s for over one week but Goa had come determined to spoil the party. This was the first match this term that Goa could not score.
The one Goa player who did would like to erase the moment if he could. Tom Aldred’s long punt reached Boris Singh who ,without seeing where his goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari was, watched aghast as his header rolled into an empty goal.
That moment of brain fade in the 62nd minute was enough for a packed Salt Lake stadium to shift the party into a higher gear. From nearly two hours before kick-off, three words on loud-hailers circulated above the main road leading to the stadium: Joy Mohun Bagan. They were heard from those packed mini-trucks that remains the go-to vehicle to get to the stadium. And they were heard as people, over 60,000 of them, many in Mohun Bagan shirts, scarves and with the club flags draped around walked to their seats. Some of them had “Joy Mohun Bagan” on their back, its golden glitter bouncing off bright white lights.
When Subhasish Bose hobble-bounced towards his mates with the league shield he got from All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey, the stadium shook. No one wanted to go home. The deejay would pause the songs celebrating Mohun Bagan and the rafters would pick it up from there.
This is what the evening was supposed to be. Football was an afterthought. It turned out to be anything but after FC Goa gave Mohun Bagan a guard of honour. There were few clear chances as both teams rested players but that did not take the edge off this encounter. Kuruniyan and Boris turned argumentative Indians taking a break from their battle on one flank. Against the run of play, Guarrotxena couldn’t test Dheeraj Singh, given his first start by Mohun Bagan head coach Jose Molina. Then, Udanta Singh slipped past Ashish Rai but couldn’t beat one-half of Mohun Bagan’s A-team in central defence. This time it was Tom Aldred who chested the shot out for a corner.
Mohun Bagan had started briskly with Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco stretching the park but gradually, FC Goa took charge of the ball. With Guarrotxena and Borja Herrera swiftly exchanging places, they had more final third entries but could not really test Dheeraj Singh. As has so often happened this season, Mohun Bagan pounced on a poor pass from Boris Singh late in the first half and as Dimitri Petratos and Odei Onaindia tussled for possession, the Mohun Bagan striker fell but the ball rolled to Manvir Singh. In the clear, Manvir Singh strode into the area and blasted home.
FC Goa vociferously protested, saying the ball had touched Petratos’s hand as he fell. Referee Rahul Gupta agreed after consulting his assistants and the goal was turned down. Usually, unflappable Molina was seen questioning the fourth official and arguing with Guarrotxena as the teams went inside.
In terms of chances, the second half was like the first. Till Boris headed into his goal. Cue Mexican waves and mobile torches glowing on the stands. FC Goa’s Dejan Drazic blasted over in second-half stoppage time. The evening seemed done but not for Jason Cummings. The first time the Australian stole from Udanta Singh, he went solo when Colaco was better placed. The next time, as Sandesh Jhingan’s first touch let him down, he pounced on the ball and played it to Stewart.
“We defended well and when we got our chances, we took them,” said Aldred. It summed up Mohun Bagan’s season, one where they had 15 clean sheets.
Leave feedback about this