Mohun Bagan too good
for Saunders

Scripting one of their most authoritative victories in international football, Mohun Bagan crushed Sri Lanka's Saunders Sports Club 5-1 to sail into the second round of the AFC Champions League, in Kolkata, on Sunday.

The National Football League champions were well-served by a razor-sharp attack, manned by the nimble-footed Baichung Bhutia and Jose Barreto, who were constantly fed by the hardworking medios during the second leg meeting between the teams at the Salt Lake stadium.

Bagan won the first leg in Colombo 2-0.

Bhutia scored a brace, while Jose Barreto, George Ekeh and Jayanta Sen chipped in with a goal apiece as the Lankans were under tremendous pressure right through the 90-minute encounter, unable to find their footing on the rain-drenched surface.

The visitors' only goal was scored by Sanjaya Kumara.

The Kolkata giants took control from the outset and raced to a 4-1 lead by half-time. They went into the lead quarter of an hour into the match when Bhutia latched on to a cross from Renedy Singh and dispatched a left-footed grounder.

The Sikkimese could have found the mark in the third minute itself, but he failed to maintain balance when well-placed inside the box, after receiving a long ball from Nigerian George Ekeh, and the chance went abegging.

Egged by around 60,000 fans, Bagan established midfield control, but had a close shave in the 23rd minute as Kumara's shot went over the bar from close.

But two minutes later, the scoreline became 2-0 as young Jayanta Sen, who had a good day, did the spadework from the right and addressed a pass for Bhutia to head home.

The Bagan onslaught continued with Barreto following a Renedy Singh floater and scoring with a deft touch over the head of Saunders custodian L P Weerasinghe in the 33rd minute.

The Bagan midfield, which played like a well-oiled machine, pushed the Lankans who were completely on the defensive during this stage of the match. Basudeb Mandal, Sen and Renedy Singh tore apart the Saunders midfield to gain control of the proceedings.

Barreto, who played the role of schemer to perfection, struck up a fine combination with Ekeh in the 41st minute as the two foreigners played wall before the Nigerian lobbed into the goal to pile on the misery on the visitors.

But the chink in the Bagan armour was its defence, which repeatedly faltered at crucial moments. A minute from the breather, Saunders medio Chatura Maduranga sent a cross from the left, which Bagan defender Satish Bharti failed to block and the ball deflected to Kumara, who netted a perfect header.

After the breather, Sen etched his name in the scorers' list by heading home a Barreto floater to carry his side to the second round.

Bagan now play Valencia of Maldives in Kolkata on October 9.