Mohun Bagan Super Giant remained unbeaten at home with a 2-0 win over FC Goa in their Indian Super League (ISL) match in Kolkata on Saturday.
It was a gripping affair with both teams getting a flurry of chances. However, the Mariners secured their 17th win of the season, courtesy of an own goal from Boris Singh in the 62nd minute and a late strike from Greg Stewart (90+4).
With this victory, they remained unbeaten at home this season throughout the league phase. They also mustered 56 points this season, which is the most in a single ISL campaign.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant were off the blocks pretty quickly as they make several inroads into FC Goa's defensive third early on in the game. Both Greg Stewart and Dimitrios Petratos had an opportunity to put them ahead in the game within the first 10 minutes.
However, FC Goa almost caught the opposition off-guard on a fast break when Rowllin Borges released Borja Herrera in space with a pinpoint long ball. The Spaniard found Iker Guarrotxena in company and played the ball in behind. However the latter's attempt was way off target.
Minutes later, Udanta Singh made a surging run down the left channel but Tom Aldred was in position to thwart the danger.
While the hosts started brightly, FC Goa grew into the game as they had more meaningful chances. Guarrotxena kept the Mohun Bagan Super Giant defenders on their toes with his exceptional movement. He came close to scoring on a couple of occasions but Aldred and others did enough to keep the scores level.
In the 31st minute, Borja tried his luck from distance but Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem in goal punched away the danger.
In the 37th minute, a similar sequence happened again, this time from a free-kick but Dheeraj did his best to keep out Borja's attempt, and the ball was later cleared by the defence.
Early in the second period, Udanta made a sensational move down the left flank but was recklessly stopped by Asish Rai, who also received a yellow card for the infringement. Later, Jose Molina replaced him with Dippendu Biswas in the 57th minute.
MBSG eventually took the lead in the 62nd minute, courtesy of errors from Boris Singh and Hrithik Tiwari. The duo had some miscommunication as Boris' headed ball bounced into the net leaving Hrithik wrong-footed.
After the goal, the hosts became even more dominant as Liston Colaco and Stewart came close to scoring in quick succession. Later, Jason Cummings and Dejan Drazic were introduced by their respective coaches after the drinks break.
The final phase of the game saw the MBSG playing percentage football as they had already secured the lead.
Later, the hosts doubled their lead when Cummings played Stewart through on goal and the Scotsman slotted it past Hrithik in goal to close out the match as MBSG went on to lift the ISL League Shield infront of 61,591 supporters.
NorthEast United FC pummel East Bengal 4-0
Moroccan forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie scored a brace as NorthEast United FC pumped in four second half goals to thump East Bengal 4-0 in their Indian Super League (ISL) match in Shillong.
Nestor Albiach gave NorthEast United the lead in the 59th minute before Ajaraie scored in the 66th and 79th minutes. Mohammed Bemammer made it 4-0 in the 86th minute.
The Highlanders thus bagged their 10th win of the season, wrapping up their 24 games and earning 38 points before embarking on their playoffs journey.
This was the eighth match where NorthEast United scored three or more goals this season, and also got their first-ever ISL win in Shillong.
East Bengal had limited chances coming their way in the first half, but Cleiton Silva did give NorthEast United a moment of scare through a probing free-kick in the 22nd minute. With the team earning a chance at a promising spot on the left flank, Silva swerved in a telling delivery that resulted in the ball landing over the crossbar.
NorthEast United retaliated by moving gradually up the left wing through Ajaraie, who lobbed in a cross for Nestor Albiach in the 32nd minute. Nestor made a robust effort at hitting the target with an aerial effort, but the shot was kept off limits by East Bengal goalkeeper Debjit Majumder.
Ajaraie back-heeled a pass for the onrushing Tondonba Singh on the left flank, followed by the latter drilling in a cross for Nestor at the centre of the 18-yard box. Nestor met the lateral ball with thorough finesse and slotted it into the bottom right corner with his left foot to break the deadlock in the 59th minute.
The Highlanders rode on this brief wave in their favour as Nestor played a key role in shaping up a dynamic offensive sequence from a corner kick.
Guillermo Fernandez curled in a right-footed inward curling cross for Macarton Nickson that was hammered on target. Debjit made a quick first save, before Ajaraie lapped upon the rebound and nestled it into the bottom left corner amid a crowded box to double the lead in the 66th minute.
Ajaraie took over a dazzling role thereafter with East Bengal conceding him plenty of space to work his footwork around in the defensive third. The free-flowing forward looked to breach into the opposition's box from the left side and sprinted near the six-yard box.
Tanmay Das fouled Ajaraie and the striker stepped up to take over the spot-kick duties, using his right foot to dispatch the ball into the bottom right corner in the 79th minute. Das was sent off after another foul in the 84th minute, handing the Highlanders a numerical advantage in the final phase of the match.
NorthEast United did not relent on offensive pressure and kept pushing forward, thereby earning set-piece chances including corner kicks to further peg East Bengal back in the game.
One such corner kick in the 86th minute resulted in the Highlanders scoring their fourth goal as Mohammed Ali Bemammer pounced upon a loose ball and settled it into the bottom right corner.
© 2025