The National cricket team and the National club of India are going hand in hand. It was just yesterday that Dhoni's India team registered their 9th consecutive victory and today Bhaichung, Bagan skipper made sure Bagan go on to register a record 9 consecutive wins in the I League! Mohun Bagan are now the league leaders with Sporting Clube behind them by 2 points!
It is after almost a long 4 year span that a Kolkata team has made it to the top of the League table! Astonishing as it is, so are Bagan's 9 consecutive wins. Just when it seemed lady luck would deny Bagan their 9th win and push Sporting clube below them, Bhaichung Bhutia, scored a acrobatic goal to put Bagan ahead and acquire the deserved win.
Sporting Clube, the former league leaders looked for every opportunity to bide time and from their game it was difficult to make out what they wanted to kick, Bagan shins or the football. Surprisingly however, the only two times the referee pulled a yellow card was when two Sporting players lost their temper and banged the ball onto the pitch!
Bagan kept their intentions clear as they pressurised the sporting defense on a number of occasions. Ishfaq as always was impressive on the left, however, looked lacking in support on the left with Deepak Mondal not allowing him to make the stretching runs down the left flank. Barreto worked hard along with Masih. Odafe as always impressive at the back along with Manju, who tried their best to keep Sporting strikers Junior and Amos quite. However, it might be a good idea for Karim to bring Dipak back as a Central Back thus strengthening the defence and may be place a Left wing-back who could lend Ishfaq the wanted support. Bagan played their way into the game and created chances way to many but couldnot convert them and from one such chances, at the very end of the first half, off a James centre, Bhaichung placed a wonderful header, which hit the post, went in but was cleared by the Sporting Clube keeper. The Line's man on duty saw nothing interesting about the incident though television replays showed it was a clear goal.
In the second half, Bagan applied increased pressure and it was not far when Bagan again created a goal mouth action. From a long throw in headed in, Habibur headed goalwards but to a Sporting Clube defender on the goal line and then the return ball was headed in again by Bhaichung but again to a Sporting Clube defender. Bagan kept on creating chances one after the other and in the 76th minute, from a corner, Barreto and Habibur scrambled the ball to Bhaichung, who spinning a complete 180 degrees on his toe put the ball to the back of the net. Bagan did not stop after this and Marcos, Barreto, Ishfaq and Bhaichung kept creating chances but the finish just was not there.
Sporting Clube, was not much impressive. The only times they looked scoring was when two long shots were taken, which the Bagan custodian, Sangram Mukherjee dealt with supreme confidence.
Bagan after this win have remained undefeated in the last 11 matches in this I League, and out of them, 9 continuos wins.
Mohun Bagan next meet Mohd. Sporting on the 15th of February
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