Manvir Singh played his best match for Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Sunday. In his fourth season, he was one of the first signings after ATK merged with Mohun Bagan. Manvir was everywhere during the 90 minutes of the second leg of the first semi-final at the full-to-the-brim Salt Lake Stadium.

And it was his sterling show that saw Bagan through to the ISL-X final beating Odisha FC 2-0 on the day, and 3-2 on aggregate.

Jason Cummings (22nd minute) and Sahal Abdul Samad (third minute of the second-half injury-time) might have sent the 62,007 Bagan fans into a frenzy, but it was the industrious Manvir who shone brighter under the glare of the stadium.

Playing as the retractable wingback on the right flank in Antonio Lopez Habas’s 3-4-3 system, Manvir was entrusted with the job of attacking when Bagan were on the move and to track back every time the opponents ventured into the Bagan half.

This season, sometimes he was par and sometimes the performance was not up to the mark. On Sunday, Manvir did everything right.

He was a constant menace with his runs and superb while defending. In the latter part of the second half, when Odisha FC pressed for the equaliser, a sliding tackle from Manvir to deny Isaka Ralte, who had made a perfect run from the blindside, a shot at goal kept Bagan in the match. Then he ran past the Odisha defence and attempted a shot at the near post which was ill-directed.

An unmarked Cummings kept on waiting for the pass and Manvir could have played it to the Australian. But then Manvir has a knack for scoring, so he was probably right in going solo.

Fittingly, Sahal’s goal came off his pass. This time he picked the left channel. Despite tired limbs in the suffocatingly hot and humid conditions, Manvir zoomed past his marker and his shot deflected off goalkeeper Amrinder Singh’s palm.

The rebound hit Sahal’s head and dropped just in front of the goalline. Sahal, playing for the first time since he picked up an injury while on India duty last month, somehow managed to push the ball in.

The stadium erupted in joy, the bench was celebrating. Just like what it was when Bagan won the League Shield defeating Mumbai City FC at the same ground 13 days ago. Bagan now wait for their final opponents. That will be known on Monday when Mumbai City host FC Goa in the second leg of the second semi-final.

Bagan went ahead in the 22nd minute. Anirudh Thapa’s delightful long ball found an unmarked Liston Colaco on the left.

A Colaco lay-off found Dimitri Petratos, whose rasping shot could only be partially blocked by Odisha FC gaolkeeper Amrinder Singh. The rebound fell in front of Cummings who had an easy tap-in.

Bagan had their chances in the first half. Once Odisha goalkeeper Amrinder put his body in the line to deny Colaco and then Odisha FC defender Mourtada Fall superbly blocked Petratos’s way when the Australian was all set to hit the target.

At the other end, Hector Yuste effected a goalline save. Midway through the second half, his back header off a Petratos corner was brilliantly saved by Amrinder. Like Manvir, Yuste also had a great match and was there in the defence to thwart a barrage of Odisha FC attacks.

This is the second time in as many matches that more than 60,000 fans crammed into the stadium to root for their favourite club. A similar crowd is expected in the final on May 4. A win for Bagan will give them a treble — the Durand Cup, ISL Shield and the ISL trophy. The Bagan boat is cruising.