Mohun Bagan goes 13 points clear at top of I-League table

Mohun Bagan inched closer towards a second I-League title with a convincing 3-1 victory over TRAU at Imphal’s Khuman Lampak Stadium on Sunday.

Mohun Bagan is leading the I-League points table by 13 points.

Mohun Bagan inched closer towards a second I-League title with a convincing 3-1 victory over Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) at Imphal’s Khuman Lampak Stadium on Sunday.

Spaniard Fran Gonzalez scored his 10th goal of the season, converting a penalty, to go on top of the scoring charts. Compatriot Joseba Beitia and Senegalese striker Papa Babacar Diawara also found the net for the Mariners. All four goals in the match came in the first half with Nigerian Joel Sunday getting one back for the home side.

This was Bagan’s seventh win on the trot; the Mariners are unbeaten in 12 games. The win took Mohun Bagan to 35 points after 14 games, helping to open up a healthy 13-point advantage over second-placed Punjab.

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As has been the norm in recently, Bagan took an early lead when Komron Tursunov was tripped inside the box by Denechandra Meitei. Gonzalez converted the resultant penalty with ease.

In the 22nd minute, Beitia doubled the lead with a delightful right-footed curler which confused Shayan Roy in the TRAU goal.

Just a minute later, Tursunov picked up an assist to put Babacar Diawara on the ball inside the TRAU box. Holding off his marker with ease, Diawara struck for the eighth time with a delectable finish across the face of goal.

TRAU managed to pull one back after the half-hour mark when Mayowa took advantage of an error to surge ahead. Once inside the box, Mayowa got past Fran Morante and also 'keeper Sankar. The ball deflected off Morante’s heels and looped up for Sunday, who slotted it home for his first goal of the season.

Match highlights | Mohun Bagan vs TRAU

Mohun Bagan began the second half with the intention of holding on to its two-goal advantage. The host though tried its best. Naocha had a shot in the 68th minute which was easily collected by Sankar and later in the game, he also got a header on target.

In the 69th minute, Tursunov was given the marching order for a second booking as the visitor was forced to play out the last 20 minutes with 10 men. Nothing, however, changed TRAU’s fortunes as Mohun Bagan held on.

TRAU, with 16 points from 15 games, remains locked in a relegation battle with NEORCA and Aizawl.