Kolkata, Aug 4 (IANS) Manvir Singh starred with a clinical hat-trick as Mohun Bagan Super Giant secured their second straight win after a ruthless show of attacking power to rout South United Football Club 8-0 in their Group A fixture of the 135th Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Manvir struck in the 4th, 22nd and 60th minutes, while Suhail Ahmad Bhat (90′, 90+1′) got a brace and Alberto Rodríguez and Rahul Bheke also got on the scoresheet, with an own goal from South United captain Noel S.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant remained on top of the group with six points from two matches while South United are in third place with three points from the same number of matches.
With both teams entering the contest on the back of opening victories, Mohun Bagan head coach Panagiotis Dilimperis retained his preferred 4-4-2 formation, handing starts to new signings Dejan Dražić and Rahul Bheke. South United FC head coach Kaja Mohideen Bhadussa lined his side up in a 3-4-3 system with Makakmayum Daniyal leading the attack.
The Mariners wasted little time in stamping their authority on the contest. Liston Colaco threatened early with a powerful effort from the left before Anirudh Thapa tested goalkeeper Sunil Singh as Mohun Bagan mounted wave after wave of attack.
The breakthrough came in just the fourth minute through a moment of brilliance from Sahal Abdul Samad. Receiving possession on the edge of the penalty area, the midfielder produced an exquisite no-look reverse pass that split the South United defence. Manvir Singh controlled with his left foot before calmly finishing with his right to hand the Mariners an early lead.
Mohun Bagan doubled their advantage six minutes later from a set-piece. Thapa delivered a teasing corner from the left and Spanish defender Alberto Rodríguez rose highest to plant a powerful header into the back of the net.
The home side continued to dominate proceedings. Sahal struck the left post with a curling effort before Manvir was denied by a superb save from Sunil Singh. South United captain Noel S then produced an important headed clearance to keep out another dangerous effort from Liston.
The third goal arrived in the 19th minute following another flowing move. Dejan Dražić combined neatly with Thapa before slipping the ball into the path of Rahul Bheke, whose towering header left the goalkeeper with no chance.
Just three minutes later, Mohun Bagan added a fourth. Sahal embarked on a driving run down the left before cutting the ball back perfectly for Manvir Singh, who composed himself and slotted home his second goal of the evening.
The Mariners continued to dictate possession, while South United attempted to build attacks through Md Altaf Hussain and Satminlun Khongsai. However, Dilimperis’ side remained firmly in control.
Sahal endured a frustrating first half in front of goal despite being at the heart of almost every attacking move. The midfielder struck the woodwork twice in quick succession, first hitting the right post in the 32nd minute before repeating the feat with a fierce long-range effort three minutes later.
South United’s best chance came in the 37th minute when Makakmayum Daniyal unleashed a powerful strike that forced Vishal Kaith into an excellent diving save. At the other end, Sunil Singh continued to impress, denying Manvir from close range after another intricate move involving Sahal and Liston, before the Indian international fired wide in stoppage time following another clever combination with Dražić.
Mohun Bagan entered the break with a deserved 4-0 lead after completely dominating the opening period, restricting South United to just a solitary shot.
The visitors showed greater resilience after the restart. Mustafa Shaikh and Satminlun Khongsai displayed neat footwork in midfield, while South United defended with greater discipline to frustrate the Mariners for the opening stages of the second half. Manvir came close to completing his hat-trick after capitalising on a defensive error, but Sunil Singh reacted sharply to make another fine save.
The inevitable fifth goal arrived on the hour mark. Thapa delivered another inviting corner, and Manvir cleverly ghosted away from his marker before meeting the delivery with a diving header that nestled into the far corner to complete a deserved hat-trick.
South United enjoyed more possession as the second half progressed but struggled to penetrate the well-organised Mohun Bagan backline marshalled by captain Subhasish Bose alongside Abhimeitei and Alberto Rodríguez.
Mohun Bagan’s sixth goal came in the 69th minute through an unfortunate own goal. Sahal released Dražić down the left, and the Serbian delivered a dangerous cross into the six-yard box. In his attempt to clear, captain Noel S inadvertently diverted the ball off his chest and into his own net despite Sunil Singh’s desperate effort to keep it out.
The Mariners continued to push for more goals while South United searched for a consolation through Rinshid V, Satminlun Khongsai and Daniyal, but they found no way past the disciplined home defence.
Substitute Suhail Ahmad Bhat nearly scored in the 88th minute before finally getting his reward two minutes later. Sahal threaded a delightful pass between two defenders, allowing the forward to race through on goal, round the goalkeeper and calmly slot home Mohun Bagan’s seventh.
There was still time for one final flourish. Deep into stoppage time, Sahal combined beautifully with substitute Sayan Banerjee, who then cut the ball in to Suhail. He rifled an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net to cap a magnificent all-round performance and complete an emphatic 8-0 victory.
Wednesday’s matches:
NEROCA FC vs Indian Navy FT (Group D) – 4:00 PM, Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, Imphal
Indian Army FT vs Baghpat FC (Group B) – 7:00 PM, Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
–IANS
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