Bagan begins with a big bang

By Our Sports Reporter

CALCUTTA, JULY 1. Mohun Bagan justified its star status in drubbing qualifier Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) 4-1 in a relatively one-sided Group A league match for the McDowell Cup here at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday. Returning with a modest third position from the Pondicherry Millennium invitation tournament, Bagan thus started its local campaign on a confident note.

Bagan coach Subrata Bhattacharya, thought his boys played quite impressively to begin the season on an auspicious note. The match gave enough indication of the National League champion's good striking line-up as its Brazilian import from Salgaocar SC, Joao Dos Santos, got the lead for the team in the opening minute. On a move building from right, Mohun Bagan's ITI recruit, R.C. Prakash, took the first attempt but saw the ball rebounding off a defender. Santos was quick to avail the rebound before placing the ball home.

Playing a quick passing game and utislsing the flanks to stretch the opposition defence in a good measure, Mohun Bagan attacked relentlessly and found its second goal soon as Lolendra Singh found his eighth minute drive finding the mark. Singh, playing as the left-back, was effective on the overlap and saw the ball deflecting off an opposition defender before it was wrapped in the net.

Keeping up the assault, Mohun Bagan earned a penalty in the 26th minute after Santos was illegally brought down inside the box as the forward had made a nice solo effort to move into the opposition box. James Singh, Bagan's attacking mid-fielder, scored the penalty to make it 3-0.

The job of completing the tally rested on R.C. Prakash who ably did it collecting a Lolendra Singh through pass in the 41st minute and beat the opposition defence with a quick inside dribble to set himself in the box. His first shot came of the CPT custodian, Santanu Basel, but he did not make any mistake on the rebound.

The change of ends saw Bagan relaxing, which gave its cornered first division opponent, CPT, some space to initiate moves. The port team had its consolation in the 72nd minute when its striker Suit Dey diverted a Sandip Ghosh corner with a deft header to bring up the only goal for his team.

The second session remained much subdued as Bagan shunned its aggressive self while CPT could not bring up enough arsenal to threaten its fancied opposition.

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