At the end of the 97 minutes of play, Bagan were to return without a point against minnows, Royal Wahingdoh Football Club (RWFC).
Missed chances and poor passing. These five words sum up Mohun Bagan’s first outing in the 33rd Federation Cup season opener at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here on Saturday.
At the end of the 97 minutes of play, Bagan were to return without a point against minnows, Royal Wahingdoh Football Club (RWFC). The young side, riding on Chencho’s double strike, stunned Bagan 2-1, to begin their campaign in style.
Chencho scored in the 49th and 54th minute, while Ashim Biswas reduced the margin for Bagan in the 75th minute. “It was missed chances and poor passing that cost us the match,” said Bagan’s coach Stephen Darby.
He applauded the young opposition. “J Malsawmtlunga (Nala) was brilliant,” the Bagan coach said. On the other side, it was the happiest day for RWFC’s coach Carlton Chapman. “I will never forget this day,” said the jubilant former India skipper.
Before the match, everything seemed to be going against this young side from Meghalaya as Bagan line-up boasted of three star players — Sunil Chhetri, Odafa Okolie and Jose Barreto. However, the presence of stars meant little as Kolkata side made a mess of the game. It was Chhetri, who made the first mistake, followed by Okolie and skipper Barreto.
The side held an upper hand in the first session, but could not find the target. They should have been 3-0 up in the first 20 minutes, but poor finishing and cross bar came in their way.
Chhetri missed a sitter in the eighth minute. He just had to tap the ball into the empty goal, but he tried to volley, which went over the bar. Three minutes later, Okolie, the top-scorer in the I-league last season and the highest-paid player, was neatly put through by Barreto, but this lanky striker failed to find the net from a handshaking distance.
It was the turn of Barreto to add to the list of missed chances. Chhetri ran down the right wing and crossed to Barreto, but the latter only managed to send the ball over the bar. And to add to their misery, NP Pradeep was sent out for double booking in the 53rd minute of play.
Pune FC tame Dempo
In a Group C match played in Kolkata, Pune FC made short work of Dempo SC 2-1. Pune FC surged into the lead as early as the eighth minute through Mandjou Keita. And then, Jeje Lalpeklua doubled the score in the 20th minute. Dempo pulled one back through Joy Ferrao in the 89th minute.
Stopwatch: In Pune: Mohun Bagan 1 (Ashim 75) lost to Royal Wahingdoh 2 (Chencho 49, 54); Churchill Bros 3 (Beto 57, Arnaud 71, ND Opara 87) bt Shillong Lajong 1 (Boithang 70); In Kolkata: Pune FC 2 (Keita 8, Jeje 20) bt Dempo (Ferrao 89), East Bengal 1 (Sanju 53) drew with Mohammedan Sporting 1 (Stanly 20-pen)
Today’s fixtures: In Pune: Salgaocar SC vs Mumbai FC, Pailan Arrows vs HAL; In Kolkata: Prayag United SC vs Chirag United Kerala, Sporting Clube de Goa vs Air India
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