Punjab FC defeated Bengaluru FC 3-2 to snap their seven-game-long winless run in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
The home team made an emphatic comeback that saw them strike thrice in the second half to get all the three points from the match. They stay in ninth spot in the standings with 23 points to their kitty.
Alberto Noguera pulled off a slick corner kick in the 23rd minute, well-directed to Sunil Chhetri on the far post that produced Bengaluru FC's first concrete chance of the game. Chhetri's headed effort was aimed on target but blocked in time to keep the scores level.
Noguera replicated a similar delivery from another corner kick in the 36th minute, this time from the left side. He attempted a different route this time, giving the ball to Rahul Bheke who was placed at a distance down the centre.
Bheke thundered his shot above the post though as he couldn't keep his effort on target.
Muhammad Suhail came close to breaking the deadlock for Punjab FC four minutes later, as he landed in a promising position inside the right side of the 18-yard box. Ricky Shabong squared up a pass for Suhail, which he picked at the first go but ended up shooting wayward of the left post.
Bengaluru FC retaliated on the brink of half-time, as Roshan Singh saw a yard of space on the left wing and curled in a cross for Edgar Mendez inside the box. Mendez's header missed the target on the right, keeping scores level at the end of the first half.
Mendez pulled a goal in the Blues' favour four minutes into the second half though. Sunil Chhetri initiated a move from wide out the left flank and a lateral ball inside the Punjab FC box was hastily cleared by their backline. The ball ricocheted off Mendez's boot before striking the back of the net to get the Blues the lead.
Petros Giakoumakis quickly snapped the momentum of the game by enabling Punjab FC to secure the equaliser by earning a spot-kick that Asmir Suljic ended up taking in the 55th minute. Suljic showed impeccable accuracy, hammering the ball in the high centre of the net to get the game back to level terms.
Filip Mrzljak's smart moves inside the box got Punjab FC the lead back in the 79th minute though. It was a culmination of Punjab FC's ploy to drag Bengaluru FC's defence wide and exploiting the spaces at the centre.
Khaiminthang Lhungdim's cross from the right was met by Luka Majcen who nodded it on target, only for it to be saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Mrzljak pounced upon the rebound to target the top right corner, resulting in the team's second goal of the match.
Bheke had been a formidable presence inside the box throughout the game and that yielded the required returns for Bengaluru FC. He jumped upon a cross from Mendez following a corner to smash it into the centre of the goal upon the commencement of the injury time, symbolising the back-and-forth nature of contest.
Punjab FC, yet, didn't let their guards down and instead stayed patient in absorbing waves of attacks and spotting the right moment to hit Bengaluru FC on the counter-attack.
Deep into the added time of the second half, they executed one such flawless fast break that Majcen rounded off.
Nihal Sudheesh's through ball from the situation was met by Majcen, controlled by his right foot in the middle of the 18-yard box and then drilled into the bottom left corner to notch a tremendous comeback win for Punjab FC.
Dominant Mohun Bagan SG muscle past Mohammedan Sporting 4-0
Subhasish Bose and Manvir Singh struck a brace each as Mohun Bagan Super Giant thrashed city rivals Mohammedan SC 4-0 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match in Kolkata.
With this win, the Mariners are 10 points clear at the top of the points table this season. They now have 43 points while second-placed FC Goa have 33 to their name.
This was also Mohun Bagan keeper Vishal Kaith's 50th ISL clean sheet as he became the first goalie to register such a feat.
The Mariners started the game with a lot of panache and momentum as they kept pushing the Mohammedan backline early on in the game. They eventually found the back of the net in the 12th minute from a corner kick delivered by Liston Colaco.
Mohammedan defenders initially defended the ball but Jamie Maclaren held it up brilliantly before playing it to Dippendu Biswas, who took an effort towards the goal and Subhasish was in the right position to slot it home past Padam Chhetri in goal to score his fifth goal of the season.
Manvir Singh stepped up in the 20th minute to double the lead for the Mariners. It was a great corner delivered by Jason Cummings on the near post and before Padam could react, Manvir rose the highest and nestled it into the back of the net.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant almost found the third when Cummings, in a more creative role, made a run down the left flank before squaring it to Maclaren. However, Florent Ogier was alert to the danger and made a timely interception to disrupt the promising move.
After the drinks break, Carlos Franca made a couple of telling runs but the Mariners' backline did enough to smother those opportunities.
However, Mohammedan were again pegged back when Mohun Bagan SG found their third goal of the game in the 43rd minute. Cummings came up with the delivery from a free-kick before Maclaren set it up with a deft touch for Subhasish to slot it home once again.
Mohammedan SC's best chance of the first half fell to Manvir Singh Saini from a corner delivered by Mirjalol Kasimov. The youngster was the first to react but his header was tipped over the bar by Vishal Kaith.
But things took a drastic turn for the hosts when Kasimov in frustration swiped his leg at Tom Aldred when he was down on the ground. The referee saw the action and handed him marching orders right at the stroke of half-time.
The second half started with Alexis Gomez coming close to scoring from a freekick just outside the box. Later, Cummings' freekick wasn't properly gathered by Padam and Manvir almost capitalised on the stray ball.
But it was eventually cleared away by Mohammedan SC defenders. However, he scored the fourth goal in the 53rd minute when he headed it home past Padam from Cummings' exceptional cross from the left flank.
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