KALYANI: Mohun Bagan emerged the better side in a dramatic encounter that could challenge any top flight thriller. The Kolkata giants picked up their fourth consecutive win off a last gasp goal to get the better of Air India 3-2.
The win helped them to better their position in the league standings as they climbed to eleventh spot. Interestingly both the teams were reduced to 10 men after one of their players were shown red cards at different occasions in the second half.
The win helped them to better their position in the league standings as they climbed to eleventh spot. Interestingly both the teams were reduced to 10 men after one of their players were shown red cards at different occasions in the second half.
Mohun Bagan utilised the home advantage and worked up a 2-0 lead by the 28th minute. Nigerian goal-machine Odafa Okolie gave the hosts the lead in the 11th minute after his upfront colleague Tolgay Ozbey was brought down in the area by the Air India defender Prem Kumar.
Tolgay doubled the lead in the 28th when he was reached unmarked by Snehasish Chakraborty with a nice through ball. The Australian striker paced up into the Air India box and finished with an angular grounder.
Air India pulled one back in the 38th minute (2-1) when Henry Ezeh made the most of a Vijith Shetty assist. The airmen were reduced to 10 men in 67th minute when their goalkeeper Bubai Singh was given marching orders for charging out of the box and handling the ball in a bid to stop Tolgay from getting a scoring opportunity. Air India pulled off one of their strikers Elijah Junior to bring their substitute ‘keeper Sukhwinder Singh.
Mohun Bagan tried to enhance their lead but failed in their bid. Their Nigerian defender Echezona Anyiche was sent off after the second booking of the match in the 84th minute. This leveled the field for Air India and they utilised the opportunity firing the equaliser in the first minute of added time.
Branco Vincent Cardozo, who came in as an 83rd minute substitute, headed home a fine cross from Baldip Singh to bring cheers in the Air India ranks. Making a repeat of their last minute win against Mumbai FC in the previous match, Mohun Bagan found a late winner when Denson Devdas came up to nod home a centre from Syed Rahim Nabi.
The win took Mohun Bagan’s point to 22 from 21 games while Air India remained on 19 from 23.
The AIFF
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