Bengaluru makes it 5 wins on the trot

KOLKATA: Bengaluru FC moved into sixth place on the table after earning its first-ever victory over ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Sunday.

Javi Hernandez (77’) and former ATKMB striker Roy Krishna (90’) set up a 2-1 win for Bengaluru, which notched up its fifth victory on the trot. Mohun Bagan forward Dimitri Petratos (90’) netted in second half stoppage time, but it was just a consolation. Following the result, BFC jumped to sixth with 25 points from 17 matches while ATKMB remains fourth with 27 points off 16 games.

The host dominated possession in the first half and entered the final third on several occasions, but the Bengaluru backline was on hand to thwart its attempts. The first chance for the visitor came via Hernandez, whose shot from the edge of the box went just over the crossbar. Mohun Bagan right-back Asish Rai was lively with threatening balls into the box and a couple of shots at goal.

But, he almost allowed Bengaluru to score a goal on the counter. Around the half-hour mark, Rai’s slip allowed Krishna to put N Sivasakthi through on goal. ATKMB goalkeeper Vishal Kaith came charging towards the edge of the box and stopped the young attacker before he could cause any damage.

The two teams made moves without much success until the 77th minute, when the deadlock was finally broken. Naorem Roshan Singh lobbed the ball towards the edge of the Mohun Bagan penalty area before Hernandez put his laces through a powerful volley that burst through Kaith’s outstretched left hand and into the bottom corner.

Pablo Perez then came on to play a role in Krishna’s goal in the first minute of stoppage time. Kaith failed to grab a cross, opening up a simple tap-in opportunity for the striker. Just when the ‘Blues’ thought the job was done, Petratos’s shot from outside the box came off Alan Costa and flew past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

RESULT: ATK Mohun Bagan 1 (D Petratos 90) lost to Bengaluru FC 2 (J Hernandez 78, R Krishna 90)