I-League 2015/16 – Mohun Bagan trounce Salgaocar to extend lead at the top
Mohun Bagan followed up their impressive performance in the AFC Cup with a comfortable 3-1 win over Salgaocar at Goa on Saturday. A brace from Cornell Glen helped them stretch their lead to four points over rivals East Bengal, while Salgaocar remained rooted at the bottom of the league table.
Starting Line-ups:
Salgaocar FC XI: Karanjit (GK)(C); Alesh (U-22), Gilbert, Duffy, Gurjinder, Scott, Keenan, Reagan, Seityasen, Augustin, Eder
Mohun Bagan XI: Majumder (GK); Yusa (C), Balmuchu, Glen, Kinshuk, Lenny, Dhanachandra, Gaikwad, Brandon (U-22), Jeje, Norde
Mohun Bagan manager Sanjoy Sen made four changes to the line-up he used in the AFC Cup match against Maziya in Guwahati on Wednesday. Sanjay Balmuchu, Kingshuk Debnath, Brandon Fernandes and goalkeeper Debjit Majumdar returned to the team for this crucial away fixture.
Riding high on the confidence gained with their performance in the last match, the defending champions made an excellent start to the game, and took the lead in the 13th minute. Sony Norde picked out Lenny Rodrigues' run into the box with a fine pass, and the midfielder's shot was kept out by Karanjit Singh. However, the ball fell kindly for Jeje Lalpekhlua, who put the ball into the back of the net with ease.
Mohun Bagan sat back and played on the counter-attack after taking the lead, and the pace of their attackers
Midfielder Yusa Katsumi tried his luck from the distance, and his shot was deflected off Eder
Just before the end of the first half, Glen completed his brace with a goal which was assisted by the poor condition of the football pitch at the Tilak Maidan Stadium. The move started
In the second half, Salgaocar pushed forward with much more intent, and in the 71st minute Darryl Duffy headed in a consolation goal, off Jackichand Singh's cross from the left wing. The home side failed to create any more clear cut chances and the match ended 3-1 in favour of the Mariners.