Bengaluru FC annihilated DSK Shivajians 7-0 to go level with East Bengal on 27 points in the 2017 I-League at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.
Sunil Chhetri (20’) opened the scoring and assisted three as the Blues scored four within eleven minutes. Alwyn George (22’) doubled the lead with Eugeneson Lyngdoh (25’) joined the party and Semnilen Doungel (31’) compiled humiliation for the Loni-based outfit. Chhetri then bagged his second in the 66th minute, before CK Vineeth added another twelve minutes later. When it looked like the night would feature a tennis scoreline, Sandesh Jhingan popped up to net the seventh of the night in stoppage time to rub salt on Dave Rogers' side's wounds!
With Marjan Jugovic injured and Juanan suspended, Albert Roca recalled Amrinder Singh in goal but Seminlen Doungel retained his place in the lineup.
Seityasen Singh’s injury meant youngster Lallianzuala Chhangte was awarded a start and Soram Poirei was preferred over Arjuna Awardee Subrata Paul between the sticks.
Chhetri showed signs of intent early on and the broke the deadlock two minutes post their first real chance on goal.
A stunning one-two with Doungel and the skipper shot home from 20 yards out. Two minutes later, Alwyn George appeared inside the box from nowhere and poached off a goal for himself from Chhetri’s cross, the initial ball provided by Eugeneson Lyngdoh in midfield.
The 32-year-old turned provider again as he found Lyngdoh open, who took his time and blasted from 26 yards out; his left footer curling inside the net to the humiliation of the Shivajians' backline.
Lyngdoh has a swipe on goal again moments later with the ball richocheting off the post much to the delight of Soram Poireim, who had one of his worst nights as a professional footballer.
Doungel broke into a counter attack past the half hour mark and remained one on one for the better part of 45 yards with a DSK defender to finally get his first goal of the season.
Nishu Kumar, who was brilliant in midweek had a couple of chances he squandered and it was only Juan Quero who provided any sort of spark for the visitors in the first half.
Ringing in two changes with veteran Gouramangi Singh joining the backline, Dave Rogers kept the Blues quiet, but not for long.
Chhetri scored the fifth of the night picked up Alywn George's pass with a delectable inital touch and glided in across the field to angle in goal from outside the box.
Lallianzuala Chhangte grazed the side-netting in the first real sniff on goal for the visitors. Second half substitute Chekiyot Vineeth made it 6-0 as Chhetri assisted his fourth of the night.
The former Sporting Clube de Portugal 'B' striker was subbed off to a standing ovation but the final nail in the coffin through defender Sandesh Jhingan who rose the highest to head the last goal of the night from a corner in the last minute of regulation time.
A game which could have gone in double figures for Bengaluru FC, who missed more than a couple of glaring chances all through out was summed up in injury time when Vineeth failed to score from Udanta's cut-back in from the byline.
Nonetheless, it was a humiliation DSK Shivajians would like to forget as soon as they could as they still remain in the hunt for a Federation Cup place. Bengaluru FC now equal on points with East Bengal would be hoping for fate to smile on them to achieve a potential third placed finish with only a round of games remaining this season.