Mohun Bagan registered an emphatic 4-0 victory over Southern Samity in their Calcutta Football League (CFL) encounter on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at the Mohun Bagan ground.
Suhair VP (7', 64') and Britto PM (78', 90+3') put in brilliant performances in front of goal as the Kolkata giants cruised to a win.
Kibu Vicuna decided to make eight changes to the starting XI that lost to Mohammedan Sporting 3-2 in their last match in the Calcutta Football League (CFL).
Shilton Paul was reinstated in goal, with Ashutosh Mehta, Bikramjit Singh, Fran Morante, and Gurjinder Kumar forming a four-man backline. Britto PM and Nongdamba Naorem were deployed at the flanks, Shilton D’Silva and Joseba Beitia slotted in at the centre of the park. Kibu Vicuna chose to field both Suhair VP and Salvo Chamorro in the attacking third in search of an early goal.
The Spaniard was not disappointed by his strikers as Suhair opened the scoring for the Green and Maroons as early as the seventh minute.
But the tactician was forced to make a substitution when Mehta had to leave the field after suffering a knock and Ramlalchullova was brought in.
Bagan could have doubled their lead in the 30th minute when Chamorro nodded past Southern Samity’s keeper Ishan Debnath from a corner floated by Beitia but referee Surajit Das blew the whistle for a foul.
It was a delayed start to the second half due to heavy rainfall but that did not dampen Bagan's spirits as they kept creating chances. Beitia was controlling the tempo of the match and he was ably supported by the two wingers Naorem and Britto.
The Mariners eventually got their second goal In the 63rd minute, when Suhair displayed exquisite control and composure to bring down a lofted delivery before rifling a shot into the net.
The floodgates were thrown open and Mohun Bagan got their third in the 78th minute. Julen Colinus set up Britto with a defence-splitting through ball and the Indian Navy employee was clinical enough to put the ball at the back of the net.
Southern Samity committed men forward trying to pull one back in the dying embers of the game but was caught out during a swift counter-attack by Bagan. Beitia won back possession in his own half and ran unhindered down the middle before releasing Britto who fired a shot at the far bottom corner to seal the three points.
