Mohun Bagan humiliated West Bengal Police 5-0 in their sixth Calcutta Football League (CFL) encounter at the Mohun Bagan ground on Saturday.
Aser Pierrick Dipanda scored a hat-trick (2’, 52’, 95’) and a goal apiece from Britto PM (33’) and Henry Kisekka (92’) helped Bagan complete the rout.
Sankarlal Chakraborty made four changes to the side that ousted Tollygunge Agragami 3-0 in the previous match. Shilton Paul was brought back into the starting lineup, replacing Sankar Roy under the sticks. Suspended defenders Eze Kingsley and Arijit Bagui were replaced by Gurjinder Kumar and Amey Ranawade whereas Henry Kisekka was given the nod ahead of Azharuddin Mallick.
Mohun Bagan started with a 4-4-2 formation with Britto PM and Pintu Mahata on the wings. Shilton D’Silva and Sourav Das slotted in at the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Aser Pierrick Dipanda partnered Kisekka up front.
Before the game, Chakraborty had made it clear that his side would be looking to rake up the goals to bridge the goal difference with league leaders East Bengal. His boys responded well as Bagan drew first blood within 100 seconds from the first whistle. Ranawade threw long into the box towards Dipanda and the striker peeled off his marker S.K. Saruk before slotting it past goalkeeper Soumava Ghosh.
Just three minutes after the half-hour mark, Police were made to pay for their high line as D’Silva’s long ball found Britto who had perfectly timed his run to beat the off-side trap. The former Churchill Brothers winger too the ball on his chest, controlled it with his head before firing it past the keeper to give Mohun Bagan a 2-0 lead.
Shilton Paul who had a quiet first-half was called into action in the dying seconds of the first-half when Ghosh’s flagkick was headed towards goal by Saruk. Paul dived low towards his left and pulled off a brilliant save to keep the scoreline at 2-0 at half-time.
Bagan continued with their attacking philosophy in the second half as well. Chakraborty stuck to his routine substation as set-piece specialist Mehtab Hossain was brought into action to replace D’Silva.
Hossain had an immediate impact on the game. His out-swinging corner was met by Dipanda with his head. The Cameroonian executed a near-perfect finish as he timed his spot-jump to perfection and placed his header beyond the reach of Paul.
Paul suffered a head injury in his attempt to save Dipanda’s header as his head struck the post while he dived to his left in a bid to save Dipanda’s header. He was immediately rushed off to the hospital.
Bagan continued to play wonderful football. In the 84th minute, SK Saruk was given the marching orders as the defender stamped on Mahata who had already been fouled by the former and was lying on the pitch clutching his heel.
Bagan took advantage of numerical superiority and Kisekka finally found the net in the 92nd minute after he was fed well by substitute Abhinas Ruidas.
Three minutes later, Dipanda completed his hat-trick as he clinically put the ball past Sanjib Mondal after he was set up by his striking partner Kisekka.
Mohun Bagan will now travel to Kalyani to take on Aryan on August 29.