ATK Mohun Bagan extended their unbeaten run to nine games and broke into the top four once again, with a 2-1 win over league leaders Hyderabad FC in ISL VIII at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Tuesday.
After a barren first half, Liston Colaco opened the scoring for ATK Mohun Bagan in the 56th minute with Manvir Singh (59th) doubling their advantage in the next three minutes. Joel Chianese (67th) pulled one back for Hyderabad but could not muster another goal as they succumbed to their third loss of the season.
However, they still remain at the top of the table with 26 points from 15 games. ATK Mohun Bagan moved to the fourth position with 23 points in their kitty from 13 games.
Both teams started slowly but upped the ante as the game progressed. The Calcutta team looked the more promising side with Hugo Boumous creating a lot of chances.
The Frenchman combined well with Liston Colaco and David Williams as the Mariners looked to prise open Hyderabad’s defence. Boumous forced Laxmikant Kattimani into a good save while at the other end Amrinder Singh kept Bartholomew Ogbeche at bay.
Hyderabad were on the backfoot in the face of constant ATK Mohun Bagan attack. Against the run of play, Nikhil Poojary shot just over from a Joel Chianese low cross.
The Mariners suffered a double setback when the excellent Boumous and ever-dependable Carl McHugh picked up injuries and had to be replaced by Joni Kauko and young Kiyan Nassiri, respectively.
The second half started on a frantic note. Rohit Danu’s powerful shot off a poor ATK Mohun Bagan clearance struck the bar.
Soon after, ATK Mohun Bagan took the lead. Williams speeded off following a counter-attack, finding Colaco who darted down the channel, cut back and curled the ball at the far post leaving Kattimani with no chance. It was Colaco’s sixth goal of the campaign as he found the net against his former side with aplomb.
Three minutes later, Manvir doubled the team’s tally. This time Joni Kauko fed Manvir with a beautiful ball for the latter to beat an onrushing Kattimani.
