AIFF Media Team
GOA: Mohun Bagan secured a crucial 2-3 win away from home against Salgaocar FC in the first leg of their Hero Federation Cup 2016 encounter at the Tilak Maidan, in Vasco, Goa on Monday (May 02, 2016).
Jeje Lalpekhlua’s strikes in the first minute and 83rd minute alongwith an Abhishek Das goal in the 77thminute proved enough for Mohun Bagan to breeze through, after Salgaocar equalized their deficit in the 26th minute through Martin Scott and took the lead in the 31st minute through Calvin Mbarga, which eventually got cancelled.
In the Official Post Match Press Conference, Mohun Bagan’s Head Coach Sanjoy Sen praised the determination of his side. “The boys showed that this team is not dependent on one or two individuals. The boys showed that football is a team game,” Sen said suggested that the absence of Sony Norde and Glen Cornell did not affect the side.
“It is a delight to see Jeje on the scoresheet. We are privileged to have in our side”, Sen added.
Meanwhile, Salgaocar’s Head Coach Mario Soares said, “We will be positive about the reverse fixture and look to give our cent percent in that. We have to fight if we are to get anything out of the second leg”
Mohun Bagan got off to the perfect start as the Mariners struck just 27 seconds into kick-off. The Salgaocar defence was caught napping when Subhash Singh’s floated cross from the right flank was comfortably netted home by an unmarked Jeje Lalpekhlua in the box. The forward who had all the time and space in the world simply powered the ball past Karanjit Singh to break the deadlock.
In the 26th minute, Salgaocar drew level when Saran Singh delivered a diagonal ball that for Martin Scott. The Scottish midfielder unleashed a swerving shot that rocketed into the net as the scoreline read 1-1.
The home-side started to dominate the tie and took the lead in the 31st minute when Daryl Duffy managed to hold the ball and found Calvin Mbarga with a cross from the left flank. Mbarga, managed to put the ball past the Bagan custodian as Salgaocar found the net for the second time in under five minutes to take a solitary goal lead as the socreline read 2-1 in their favour.
Duffy, who had a free-kick earlier in the half missed the target by inches, also had another attempt to make it 3-1 but he managed to hit it straight at Majumder, after Augustin Fernandes found him with a long ball. At the half-way mark, Salgaocar led Mohun Bagan by 2-1.
In the second half, Bagan had a glorious opportunity to draw parity when Jeje tried a shot on the turn after being teed-up by Prabir Das. The forward however shot straight at Karanjit, who parried the ball to safety.
After a lot of prompting and probing, Bagan managed to equalize their deficit in the 77th minute when skipper Yusa Kastumi’s cross from the right was tapped in by substitute Abhishek Das to make the scoreline read 2-2.
The 2008 Federation Cup winners then sealed the deal when Jeje held off defender Augustin Fernandes as he controlled a long ball from the back by Luciano Sobrosa. The diminutive forward managed to beat Karanjit for the second time as he struck low and hard into the corner to give Bagan a solitary goal lead as the full-time scoreline read 2-3 in the Mariner’s favour.
