I-League 2015/16 – Jeje helps Mohun Bagan to their first away win against Bengaluru
Image Courtesy: ©Bengaluru media
Goals from Jeje Lalpekhlua and Sony Norde handed defending champions Mohun Bagan a crucial 2-0 win, which could prove to be pivotal in the title race. Bengaluru were handicapped in the second half after Lalchhuanmawia was sent off, as they succumbed to their second home defeat of the season.
Mohun Bagan XI (4-3-3): Debjit (GK); Raju, Kinshuk, Luciano, Dhana; Pronay, Katsumi (C), S. Norde; Jeje, Glen, Lewis
Bengaluru FC XI (4-3-3): Amrinder (GK); Rino, Osano, Johnson, Chhuantea; Shankar, Thoi, Collins; Kim, Chhetri (C), Beikho.
Sanjoy Sen made just one change to the side which was held to a goalless draw at Mumbai, with Kean Lewis making just his second domestic start, in place of Bikramjit Singh. Bengaluru, on the other hand, made two changes to his side which won 4-1 against DSK Shivajians in their last game. Thoi Singh and Lalchhuanmawia replaced Keegan Pereira and Siam Hangal.
Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan had faced each other in five previous occasion, and each side had managed one win each before this encounter. In their last encounter, Mohun Bagan defender Bello Rassaq's 86th minute equalizer handed over the I-League title to the Green-Maroon Brigade.
Both the teams made a good start to the match and tried their luck early on – Sunil Chhetri with a long range shot from outside the box, and Jeje Lalpekhlua with a glancing header off Katsumi Yusa's free-kick.
Both the teams started with a 4-3-3 formation and largely canceled each other out, although Bagan looked more comfortable in possession.
Sony Norde, who made a very slow start to the game, finally came to life in the 25th minute, when he picked out Cornell Glen at the edge of the box, after a good run down the left wing. However, the Trinidadian could not keep his shot down on target.
In the 31st minute, Kean Lewis came closest to troubling the goalkeeper when 23-year-old dribbled past three Bengaluru defenders, down the right wing, before pulling the trigger. Amrinder Singh, in the Bengaluru goal, scampered to his left as the ball skimmed past the post.
Both the teams struggled to create any more clear cut chances in the rest of the first half, and went in into the half-time break tied at 0-0.
The home side started the second half with much more positive intent in midfield and attack, but lacked the quality they needed in the final third, to open up a very organized Mohun Bagan defence. The visitors, on the other hand, dropped a bit deep with most of the midfielders getting behind the ball. However, Mohun Bagan looked threatening on counter-attacks, with the pace of Norde, Jeje and Katsumi exploiting the space left behind by the Bengaluru fullbacks.
In the 59th minute, Sunil Chhetri came close to scoring as his low header at the far post, off a cross from the right wing, was brilliantly kept out by Debjit Majumdar.
Couple of minutes later though, the home team received a big blow to their hopes of getting all three points from this game, as left back Chhuantea brought down Norde, in order to prevent him from hitting his team on the break, and received his second yellow card of the game.
Mohun Bagan came close to capitalizing on their numerical advantage almost immediately, as Glen dribbled past Michael Collins and John Johnson, before blasting his shot over the bar.
Finally, in the 73rd minute, Mohun Bagan took the lead, with Jeje scoring his first goal of the season. Glen made a mess of his attempt on goal and missed the ball completely, off Norde's cross from the right. The ball reached Jeje at the far post, and he showed tremendous composure to chip the ball into the far corner of the net, after Karanjit commited early and went to ground.
Kean Lewis, who was a constant thorn in the sight of the Bengaluru defence, came close to doubling the lead just two minutes later, when his delightful curler was tipped away by Amrinder.
In the 90th minute, Sony Norde applied the cherry on the top of the cake with a fine goal from another counter attack, and sealed the game for Bagan. The match ended 2-0, as visitors continued their unbeaten run and laid down the marker on the turf of their title rivals.
