Just when the critics were making themselves heard about the fitness of Barreto and why he has not been able to make a mark in the CFL thus far and whether he would be able to make a comeback after the grueling off field controversy, Jose Ramirez Barreto made his presence felt with a thunder!
Mohun Bagan found it hard to start off their attacking football against Chirag in the slushy condition and till the first quarter of the match it was more or less an 
even contest, until Barreto came up with his magic wand to put Bagan upfront. He played a ball to the left and Ishfaq made a run before centering a minus into the box and Barreto met the ball with his right footer and placed it in. 25mins into the match, Bagan 1-0. Though Chirag came close to scoring on an occasion through their new Argentinean recruit Maxi Milliano, the two teams went into the half with just one goal between them and with Bagan a series of miss passes behind them.
even contest, until Barreto came up with his magic wand to put Bagan upfront. He played a ball to the left and Ishfaq made a run before centering a minus into the box and Barreto met the ball with his right footer and placed it in. 25mins into the match, Bagan 1-0. Though Chirag came close to scoring on an occasion through their new Argentinean recruit Maxi Milliano, the two teams went into the half with just one goal between them and with Bagan a series of miss passes behind them.When the second half resumed it was evident, the reason for so many miss passes. There was an apparent "kit clash" between the Bagan and Chirag players with both teams wearing dark outfits on a cloudy day. Bagan came out in their predominantly White Royal Jersey and began playing from where they had left in the Peerless. Midfield working hard and defence supporting well. Within minutes of restart, Ishfaq Ahmed sent in a perfect in swinging cross from the left and Barreto met it precisely with a header to send it past the keeper! 54mins, Mohun Bagan 2-0.
It seemed like Chirag had lost the flow of the game somewhere as Bagan put forward waves of attack and from one such moves, again Ishfaq Ahmed, certainly the play maker in both the matches, who had by now started changing flanks, now from right sent in a low cross and Barreto, who found the ball at the top of the box, descended upon the slushy Mohun Bagan ground as if God Himself as he just stood there amidst three Chirag defenders and placed the ball past the diving keeper with supreme ease and confidence. 58 mins Mohun Bagan 3-0 in front. Barreto scores his hattrick, his first hattrick for Mohun Bagan in CFL!
However after the third goal it seemed Bagan became a bit complacent and as it started to rain in buckets, Chirag found the back of the net in the 70th minute!
Minutes later, Chirag players started appealing for bad light and as such it was, no doubt. The Match was paused for around 5 mins and a possible abandonment was on the contemplation, before it was restarted much to the relief of the Bagan fans!
The Match ended thus, 3-1 and the moment the final whistle was blown Kolkata was washed away by a torrential rain, as if Mother Nature awaited for Mohun Bagan and the million Mariners who were frantic to see the match off and Bagan go home with their deserving 3 points!
Team: Sangram, Rahul, Odafe, Vasan, Habibur, James(Jr. James), Lalkamal, Sanjoy, Isfaq, Barreto, Lalawmpuia(Branco)
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