Mohun Bagan end eight-year Calcutta Football League drought with thrilling 3-2 comeback over Mohammedan Sporting
Mohun Bagan secured their 31st Calcutta Football League Premier Division title, and their first since 2018, with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Mohammedan Sporting in a five-goal thriller at the Barasat Stadium, here on Saturday.
Trailing 1-2 and down to 10 men after goalkeeper Deeprobhat Ghosh was red-carded in the 59th minute, the Mariners staged a dramatic second-half comeback.
India midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad inspired the turnaround, netting a brace with headers in the 26th and 70th minutes.
After Mohammedan had surged ahead through Lalremsanga Fanai (42nd) and Mahitosh Roy's 63rd-minute penalty, young forward Sayan Banerjee, who played previous two seasons for arch-rivals East Bengal, sealed the historic triumph by scoring the winner in the 74th minute.
The victory sparked wild celebrations among Mariners supporters, ending an eight-year title drought in the coveted local league.
"It's my job to score goals. I haven't scored for so long. I was able to score in a difficult time today," said an elated 23-year-old Ghosh.
"We were behind. But I didn't look at the result, I focused on scoring goals."
On dealing with the pressure of moving to Mohun Bagan, he said: "This is my professional life. This is how we have to move forward. The goal is to play better and get a place in the National team."
Hailing their team effort, Sahal said: "It's always nice to win. But winning a trophy is a different feeling...
"It's the result of the hard work of the whole team. There is no personal achievement here."
Looking ahead to upcoming tournaments like the IFA Shield and the ISL, Sahal said: "This trophy will boost the confidence of the youngsters as well as the seniors. It's nice to be able to help young people. It's an experience for them too."
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