Super Sunday couldn’t end in a more extraordinary way than tonight. It was a nail-biting match till the end in the last match in January in Hero Indian Super League. ATK Mohun Bagan just won one of their best encounters this season, as they came back from being 0-2 down at the 51st minute and then winning 3-2. Aptly facilitated by their talisman Roy Krishna’s brace, some of their best footballing skills were on display in the second Super Sunday encounter, and a perfect end to the month.
The 78th match of the Hero Indian Super League saw ATK Mohun Bagan face off against the Kerala Blasters. Although placed second in the league table, the Mariners were going through a rough patch as of late, as they had gathered just 4 points off of their last 4 matches. Hence they came in hungry for the win, against the 9th placed Kerala Blasters, who were having a great run of form of late. But both teams came into the match with loads to prove.
The action started early on in the match with a corner in the 4th minute and a big miss from the Blasters in the 5th. Sahal Abdul Samad missed a goalscoring opportunity as his shot was cleared off by the ever-present Sandesh Jhingan. Again, in the 6th minute, it was Sahal again with a cross from the left flank which went straight into the hands of goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya.
The Blasters were looking very persistent and dangerous and their first goal came shortly after in the 14th minute. A cross from Sandeep Singh in the right flank went straight to Gary Hooper, who delivered a thunderous strike straight into the goal. The keeper had no chance of saving that and that goal is surely a serious contender for Goal of the Season.
Kerala Blasters FC kept posing problems for the Mariners’ defence as Jordan Murray’s brilliant strike forced a brilliant save from Arindam Bhattacharya. But their second goal came soon after the start of the second half. Costa Nhamoinesu converted a corner and had doubled their lead.
Now it was time for ATK Mohun Bagan to strap up and make a comeback. And some comeback they made. Their first goal came off Marcelo Pereira as he converted Manvir Singh‘s assist to perfection and he chipped the ball over an oncoming goalkeeper. Sensational stuff to bring the Mariners back into the game.
Their next goal came from a Roy Krishna penalty strike in the 65th minute as Jessel Carneiro handled the ball inside the penalty box. The Mariners gladly grabbed the opportunity with both hands as Roy Krishna converted the penalty in glee.
The equaliser had opened up the game for both the teams and it was ATK Mohun Bagan who had the last laugh. And it was the man Roy Krishna again. He found a loose ball from a missed clearance and that was enough for him to convert. It was all but over in the 87th minute, and the Blasters couldn’t make a comeback.
A heated scuff broke out at the 90-minute mark, resulting in a slew of Yellow cards. Even after that, both teams produced some good chances, but those were of no avail as they were denied by the woodwork. An incredible finish to the match and the Mariners would be happy with their performance.
Hero of the Match: Roy Krishna
The award for the DHL Pass of the Match went to Manvir Singh for his beautiful assist but the Hero of the Match award was presented to none other than Roy Krishna who stepped up when it mattered the most.
With the win, ATK Mohun Bagan narrowed the gap between them and the table-toppers Mumbai FC, as they now have 27 points from 14 matches. They will look the winning run going against Odisha FC on 6th February. Kerala Blasters now have 15 points from 15 matches, as they are now in the 9th position. They are going to have a tough time against Mumbai FC on 3rd February.
