Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s defenders didn’t have too hard a time out there in the middle. Yet, at the end of the day, Jose Molina would only rue the sitters his wards missed in the goalless result in their AFC Champions League (ACL) II opener against FC Ravshan at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.

With Mohun Bagan’s winless streak extending to three matches, chants of “Go back Molina” too were heard after the final whistle.

Following an almost sleepy first half that comprised a couple of moves from Bagan and one from the visiting side, the hosts upped the ante and unleashed several attacks onto the rival defence in the second.

The introduction of Liston Colaco (in the 63rd minute replacing Sahal Abdul Samad) and Greg Stewart (who replaced Manvir Singh in the 77th minute) added the much-needed thrust to the attacks of Bagan, who took 56 minutes to get their first corner in the game.

Jason Cummings missed the first of the sitters coming Bagan’s way when his left-footed flick off Lalengmawia Apuia’s through ball lacked enough power to beat Ravshan goalie Yevhen Hrytsenko. Following that 76th-minute squander, Stewart set one up for Liston on the left, only for the latter to blow it away with a right-footer nowhere near the target.

Just three minutes of regulation time remained before a Dimitrios Petratos goal was ruled off-side. Moments later, Petratos had the chance to be the hero for Bagan after Stewart fed him with a precise through.

Despite having only the rival keeper to beat, Petratos couldn’t convert. Molina, too, may ponder later why he didn’t include either Stewart or Liston in the starting XI. The pressure could well have been doubled on the Tajik side.