ATK Mohun Bagan enters the top two with a 3-1 win over NorthEast United
ATK Mohun Bagan came from behind to beat NorthEast United 3-1 in ‘Match 89’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season. Joni Kauko, Liston Colaco, and Manvir Singh were on the scoresheet for the Mariners, while VP Suhair scored the consolation goal for the Highlanders.
NorthEast United head coach Khalid Jamil surprisingly fielded an unchanged starting XI despite losing their last match against Kerala Blasters.
On the other hand, ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando almost ran out of options with multiple injuries and could only field two foreigners. The Spanish tactician played a 3-5-2 formation as he brought in Ashutosh Mehta, Deepak Tangri, and Kauko. While Tangri played the role of Carl McHugh, Kauko was vested with the responsibility of taking up the creative mantle in the absence of Hugo Boumous.
Despite being short-handed, the Mariners had a fantastic start. Manvir found himself one-on-one with NorthEast United custodian Subhashis Roy Chowdhury in the 10th minute but the veteran goalkeeper utilized his experience to come up with a brilliant save. Four minutes later, Manvir got behind the Highlanders backline once again and had only Subhasish to beat but his effort missed the target completely.
The Green and Maroons dominated the first quarter completely, but NorthEast United broke the deadlock against the run of play through Suhair in the 17th minute. After collecting a loose ball, Brazilian attacker Marcelinho made a run centrally before finding Suhair in space, who made no mistake in rifling his shot on the back of the net.
However, it took the Mariners a total of merely five minutes to find the equalizer, thanks to Kauko’s long-ranger. Liston played a pass to Finnish midfielder just outside the penalty area and the former Randers player’s venomous effort left Subhasish stranded as the ball nestled into the bottom left corner.
Suhair combined with Marcelinho once again in the 32nd minute when the latter delivered a cross from the left flank but this time his round, the goalscorer’s shot was wayward and missed the target.
It turned out to be a costly miss as Liston handed the Mariners a much-deserved lead in just before half-time. Kauko and Liston combined here as well, though the roles were reversed. The former made a run from the midfield before playing a spectacular through ball for the young winger, who controlled the ball with ease and thumped it past the Subhasish to make the scoreline 2-1.
Manvir Singh doubled the Mariners’ lead
Having got the second goal, Mariners started the second half with the same intensity with which they finished in the first half, as it took Manvir only seven minutes to hand Ferrando’s team their third goal of the night. The star of the night, Liston made a great interception before playing a through ball for Manvir who outfoxed his marker before thumping it past the Highlanders’ goalie.
Jamil’s team came close to getting one goal back in the 79th minute when substitute Imran Khan tried his luck from distance and his effort missed the target only by a whisker. Six minutes later Hernan Santana also had the same fate when he pulled the trigger as his effort looped over the crossbar. The Highlanders got one last chance through a free-kick which Marco Sahanek decided to take but the Mariners’ custodian Amrinder Singh came up with a good save.
With this win, ATK Mohun Bagan is now in touching distance of the league leaders Hyderabad and will take on Goa on Tuesday while the last-placed NorthEast United will lock horns against Bengaluru on Friday.