ATK Mohun Bagan thrashed Sri Lanka side Blue Star SC 5-0 in an AFC Cup Preliminary round 2 match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday. The result helped the home team set up a date in the final round of the qualifying playoffs with Bangladesh side Abahani Limited Dhaka.
The match will be played at the same venue on April 19. Joni Kauko and Manvir Singh scored a brace each while David Williams scored the other for the winning side.
ATK Mohun Bagan started the game on an attacking note in front of 24,773 supporters. The Juan Ferrando-coached side could have got a two-goal lead within 15 minutes had Williams and Kiyan Nassiri not missed two easy chances.
However, the team didn’t have to wait long to get the goal. Finnish midfielder Joni Kauko put the home team ahead in the 24th minute. Hugo Boumous created the opportunity with a solo run from the midfield and Kiyan took a shot, which was blocked by Blue Star defender Mohamed Fahir. Manvir then lobbed the ball for Kauko and the Finn made no mistake and slotted the ball home.
ATK Mohun Bagan doubled their lead in the 29th minute as Manvir, receiving the long ball from Deepak Tangri, beat Blue Star goalkeeper Lakpriya Fernando and put the ball at the back of the net.
ATK Mohun Bagan got their third goal from a penalty that was awarded after Blue Star’s Prince Boadu’s handball inside the box. Kauko calmly converted that in the 39th minute.
At half-time, ATK Mohun Bagan were leading 3-0. After the change of ends, the home side started in the same vein and Blue Star didn’t find any strategy to stop the flourishing ground-play of ATK Mohun Bagan.
Williams put his name on the score sheet in the 77th minute as he scored from a Manvir low cross. Manvir scored his second and the team’s fifth goal in the 89th. Rookie goalkeeper Arsh Anwar played the game for ATK Mohun Bagan as experienced Amrinder Singh was kept out of the squad and veteran Subrata Paul was on the bench.
Though his side won by a big margin, ATK Mohun Bagan coach Ferrando was not fully satisfied.
“I’m never completely happy. I know the level of the players. In my point of view I have the best squad. But after one month since the last game against Hyderabad (in ISL), I know it’s difficult to come back and start playing perfectly. I know this team has a lot of power and energy and can play faster in moments, work hard in transitions into defence. For us it is necessary to improve some details for the next game and I know we can do it 100 per cent,” Ferrando said.
Kauko sounded happy as he got the chance to play in front of the home crowd. “It’s great to see the fans in the stadiums, there were a lot of people today (Tuesday) and football is much better with the fans. It makes us play better and try more. Thank you to everyone who came to the stadium,” the midfielder said.
Fans with tifo
Mohun Bagan fans came at the ground with various tifos, one of them saying, ‘Ultras Never Quit’.
