By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
I-league Media

NEW DELHI: Hero I-League is heading towards another high-octane finish and after the Round 16 the title race is swaying between the two Kolkata giants and Bengaluru FC. On the other hand, the relegation battle is also getting fierce as three teams are playing have to battle it out to secure themselves in the next season of Hero I-League.

Mohun Bagan, having dropped two invaluable points from their away fixture with Shillong Lajong, were desperate to salvage a home win against DSK Shivajians. The debutants from Pune, who were on a six-match unbeaten streak in their maiden season of Hero I-League, started all guns blazing against the defending champions. In the 26th minute, Cornell Glen scored from the top of the box, which eventually unlocked the floodgate. Four minutes later, Juan Quero Barraso, following a brilliant one-two with Douhou Pierre, cancelled the Mariners’ lead. The Spaniard then flummoxed the Mariners’ defense again and struck his second of the night in the 33rd minute of the match.  The Haitian game maker, Sony Norde, who made a comeback after his injury, went on to score his fifth goal of the season in the 42nd minute, a brilliant example of solo effort which kept the DSK Shivajians defenders stranded. More drama was left in the first half as Cornell Glen outfoxed the defenders to get a lead in the dying minutes of the first half. DSK Shivajians had something else back of their mind as they started to push more to find the equalizer in the second half. Finally, the prolific striker Dipanda Dica headed his seventh goal of the season from a scintillating cross by Israil Gurung. Following the high-scoring draw affair at the Barasat Stadium, the Mariners’ chance to clinch their second consecutive Hero I-League trophy seems bleak.

Super Sunday started with the last home match of the Flaming Oranje against the red-hot Reds who were still in the euphoria of their valiant display against Mohun Bagan in the previous round. The Home team drew the first blood in the 3rd minute when Wadoo blasted the net from a looping delivery by Rowllin Borges. In the 21st minute, Sumeet Passi, who was awarded the first start of the Hero I-League season, doubled the margin from a long ball unleashed by Pratesh Shirodkar. Visitors suffered a serious setback when Uilliams Bomfin Silva was given the marching order before the half-hour mark. Three minutes later, Sumeet Passi completed his brace following a brilliant solo run. Thangboi Singto tried to reshuffle his cards after the break by introducing the fresh legs of Boithang Haokip. In the 65th minute, Subashish Bose garnered their fourth goal of the evening from another long-ball hovered by Rowllin Borges. Meanwhile, it was his second assist of the match. Finally, the visitors found some solace when the skipper Penn Orji netted their first goal from outside the box in the 77th minute. Ten minutes later, Penn Orji hurled again from 35 yards out, an absolute blinder, leaving Arindam Bhattacharya aghast. In the added minutes of the second half, Mahmoud Al-Amna nailed the final one in Lajong’s coffin. Having fired five goals in their final home game, Sporting Clube de Goa have everything to cheer for before they travel to Kolkata for their clash with Kingfisher East Bengal.

What was being called as the title decider at this crucial juncture of the Hero I-League, an 11,000 strong crowd thronged the Sree Kanteerava Stadium to cheer for Bengaluru FC and Kingfisher East Bengal. The match started on a high as both teams strived to get the early goal but the defenders showed their utmost resilience. Against the flow of the game, Do Dong-Hyun struck the first goal for the Red & Golds in the 28th minute. The visitors’ jubilation was cut short by Eugeneson Lyngdoh, who converted the long ball released by the North Korean striker Kim Song Hyun, who eventually got his third assist of the season. After the hour mark, Kim Song Hyun pulled off their second goal. The Red & Golds were dealing well with the flurry of attacks by the Blues, but the youngster Malsawmzuala chipped in the third goal in the 71st minute from a long-range effort. Kingfisher East Bengal pulled up their socks in the later stage but they couldn’t outplay the resilient Bengaluru FC defenders. With the win, Bengaluru FC goes two points clear of the defending champions, having played one match less.

Aizawl FC hosted Salgaocar FC in their last home game and went on to attack from the first minute itself. The seasoned custodian Karanjit Singh had to stay on his toes throughout to keep the scoreline unscathed. In the 32nd minute, Darryl Duffy stepped up to take a free kick from 25 yards and he rattled the back of the net following a deflection. Joel Sunday, the spearhead of the home team’s attacking line, came very close to scoring the equalizer in the 40th minute but his blistering effort went abegging. On the resumption, the home team hit the gas in their pursuit for the equalizer but the Salgaocar FC defense line, led by Eder Monteiro, tamed them down. Towards the end of the game, Jahar Das made a couple of changes but they hardly could make a mark. With the slim win, Salgaocar FC, who were rattling at the bottom of the table for most of the season, jump to the fifth spot in the league with 16 points whereas Aizawl FC go down to the eighth spot with 13 points playing one match more.