I-League 2017/18: Mohun Bagan vs Minerva Punjab FC, Player Ratings
Mohun Bagan hosted high-flying Punjab side Minerva Punjab FC in Wednesday's I-League clash at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
Mohun Bagan came into the match on the back of a win against defending champions Aizawl FC. Minerva Punjab FC also entered the game with an away win over Gokulam FC.
Mohun Bagan started the game in the fifth position with a tally of 13 points from their eight matches whereas their opponents, Minerva started in the second spot just behind East Bengal.
Minerva put on a convincing away performance as a brace from their Bhutanese import Chencho Gyeltshen grabbed them the three points and the top spot in the standings. Mohun Bagan tried to come back in the second half but a stunning long-range goal from Kingsley Eze in the 93rd minute proved to be too little, too late.
Mohun Bagan
Shibinraj Kunniyil (6) - The Mohun Bagan keeper who replaced Shilton Paul in the goal had a troubled first half as he was beaten twice by Chencho. Shibinraj had a relatively quiet second half as Bagan pressed the Punjab side, who preferred to stay back and only attack on the counter.
Arijit Bagui (4.5) - The usually active Arijit was subdued on Wednesday as he had to deal with the threat of the Bhutanese striker Chencho Gyeltshen who was a constant threat to the home side. He was beaten many times by Chencho and had a poor game compared to his usual standards.
Kinshuk Debnath (6) - The centre-back for Mohun Bagan had a game of two halves as Minerva kept catching the Bagan defenders on the counter in the first half. Debnath was caught napping during Chencho's second goal but recovered well in the second half.
Eze Kingsley (7) - The former Aizawl man, too, like Debnath was poor in the first half but did well in the second half as they did not allow any Minerva counters to get through on goal. Kingsley scored via marvellous long-ranger in the 93rd minute to cut back the lead but it only proved to a consolation goal.
Ricky Lallawmawma (6.5) - The left-back for Mohun Bagan was active in the attack and combined well with Nikhil Kadam in the midfield. He made many overlapping runs and provided crosses into the box and did well defensively in the second half.
Nikhil Kadam (8) - The winger from Kolhapur was perhaps the best player on the pitch for Mohun Bagan as he kept threatening the Minerva defence from the left flank. He kept pressurising from the left wing and put in countless crosses into the box for Kromah and Dicka to attack but was unfortunate to not grab an assist.
Raynier Fernandes (7) - The Mumbai lad was industrious in his play throughout the match and did well to play alongside Cameron Watson. He moved the ball around well and broke up a lot of counters from the Minerva side in the second half.
Cameron Watson (7) - The Australian midfielder was a calm presence in the midfield as Mohun Bagan tried to get back in the game after going down 2-0 in the first half. He had a good chance at the death to equalise but was unable to keep his shot on target.
Beikhokhei Beingaichho (5.5) - The former Bengaluru man was given his first start by Shankarlal Chakraborty but failed to impress for the Kolkata side. He was replaced at the thirty-minute mark by Sk. Faiaz.
Ansumana Kromah (6) - The Liberian striker was kept quiet for the most part of the match by the Minerva Punjab FC defence. He had a chance to make an impact when he was given the responsibility of taking the penalty but failed to convert.
Aser Dipanda (6.5) - The Bagan striker was always a target man for the wingers in the box but couldn't quite get the decisive shot on the Minerva goal. He earned the penalty when he was brought down by Dagar in the box.
Substitutes:
Sk. Faiaz (6.5) - The young winger was brought on by the coach in the first half and did well on the right flank with his runs. He put in some good crosses for the attackers into the box and was impressive on the pitch.
Naro Hari Shrestha (5.5) - The young striker came on for the final 15 minutes and did well to create a couple of chances. He latched onto crosses from Nikhil Kadam and even had an effort saved by Dagar that was surely headed for towards the back of the net.