Three-time champions Mohun Bagan blanked Salgaocar Sports Club 3-0 in a floodlit tenth National Football League match that was halted for 20 minutes due to power breakdown, at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on Thursday.
Sushil Kumar Singh put Bagan ahead in the 39th minute, before Ibrahim and Eduardo Coelho struck insurance goals late in the second session to boost the Kolkata outfit's points tally to 14 from ten outings.
- National Football League coverage
Dominating the game from the outset, Bagan broke the deadlock when Ibrahim Awuda's through was flicked into the box by Dharamjit Singh and Sushil found the target with a rasping volley.
The scoreline became 2-0 in the 78th minute when Ibrahim capped a solo with a firm volley that deflected into the net off a Salgaocar defender.
Seven minutes later, a floating corner from Agbesi saw Eduardo showing fine opportunism to beat his marker in the air and nod home, much to the merriment among the Bagan fans.
After ten outings, Salgaocar remain on seven points.
Nine minutes into the first session, the stadium plunged into darkness following a power failure and play came to a temporary stop.
Stadium sources later attributed the disruption to excess voltage that caused the supply to trip. The match resumed after 20 minutes when supply was restored.
The three-time winners dominated the exchange pounding the rival defence with a series of well-coordinated moves, though the Goans' rearguard fought dourly in the first half.
In the 18th minute, Bagan's two foreign recruits Kofi Agbesi and Ibrahim combined well and the former let loose a power-packed shot that kissed the bar and went out.
Bagan continuted the assault and three minutes later, Ibrahim's long ranger went off the mark.
Bagan upped the ante in the second session as their medios and forwards struck up a fine rhythm, and towards the fag end of the match the Salgaocar resistance collapsed.
© 2024 Rediff.com -