KALYANI: Churchill Brothers ended Mohun Bagan’s prolonged unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory to take another step closer to title, in a 25th round match in Kalyani Stadium on Sunday (April 21). Churchill Brothers’ Gabonese striker Henry Antchouet found both the goals in the 19th and 35th minutes to ensure full points for the visitors.
Mohun Bagan, who have been fighting hard to clear the relegation zone, had won four and drawn one of their last five outings but it was the class of Churchill Brothers that ended the unbridled run of the Kolkata giants. Churchill Brothers made the most of two good opportunities in the first half to ensure their win.
The first goal came off a nice coordination between the two Churchill Brothers strikers – Henry and Sunil Chhetri – who played a quick 1-2 and got the Mohun Bagan on the wrong foot. Henry went in unchallenged and placed the ball past the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Shilton Paul.
Churchill Brothers kept up the thrust on the opponent even though Mohun Bagan tried to get back in the game. But the hosts’ efforts were belied as the visitors found another goal to seal their dominance.
A long goal kick from Churchill Brothers ’keeper Sandip Nandy landed near the Mohun Bagan box and before the host defenders could decide how react to it, Henry pounced on the opportunity and slotted the ball home.
Mohun Bagan made desperate efforts after the break and earned a few good scoring chances with its Nigerian striker Onyeka Okolie Odafa getting a few good breaks.
Mohun Bagan had two opportunities in the first quarter of the second half where Odafa saw one of his attempts saved by Sandip Nandy while Namibian midfielder Quinton Jacobs saw his attempt coming off a Churchill Brothers defender. Another Odafa freekick was brilliantly saved by Nandy later in the action.
Churchill Brothers went eight points clear on the top with 51 points from 24 matches. Mohun Bagan remained 12th with 22 points from as many matches.
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