I-League 2017: Mohun Bagan v Indian Arrows, Player Ratings
The Mariners were held to a third straight draw both in the league and at home on a historic afternoon for the Kolkata Maidan in its maiden I-League match. Mohun Bagan forwards Dicka and Kromah were not up to the mark and were pretty wasteful in the final third. The absence of Sony Norde was clearly visible in the match.
Lack of diligence and creativity from the home side resulted in the Arrows taking full advantage and they exploited the Bagan defence on several times. The presence of fans close to the field added additional pressure to the players but yielded no result but a single point for the home side.
The Mariners defence was stable throughout the match but the inefficiency of the forward line is proving detrimental to Mohun Bagan's second I-League title aspirations.
Meanwhile, it was yet another impressive performance from the Indian Arrows, as they held Mohun Bagan to an evenly matched draw. The Arrows defied the physicality of the Mohun Bagan side with patient build-up play. Short passes and crisp wing play allowed them to poach upon the Bagan goal several times.
Dheeraj Singh was the stand out performer for the young side based in New Delhi, as his brilliant reflexes did not allow Bagan any chance to cheer after the dreaded penalty in the first half. The back four was immensely disciplined which allowed the forwards to march comfortably.
On that note, let's take a look at how the players performed in the match.
Mohun Bagan
Shilton Paul (9/10): The veteran shot-stopper pulled out his best throughout the game but could not save Rahul's successful tap-in.
Ricky Lallawmawma (7/10): The young defender was taken for a toll by Naorem and Meetei throughout the match.
Kinshuk Debnath (7.5/10): The veteran was successfully outrun by Rahim Ali during the goal which was rather embarrassing for the experienced campaigner. He had a tough time dealing with the pacy wingers of the young Arrows side.
Abhishek Das (8/10): Abhishek Das was pivotal in defending against the away side. His ability to track back quickly did not allow much space to the Arrows.
Eze Kingsley (8/10): The hero of the Derby had a good game at the back. He was crucial in heading away the incisive curling balls from set-pieces and the corners.
Seikh Faiaz (6.5/10): The former Mohammedan man had a day to forget at the right flanks, with poor crosses on regular intervals.
Raynier Fernandes (6/10): The young midfielder could not perform at his best and he was troubled due to the presence of Amarjit Singh and Suresh Singh in the centre of the park.
Shilton de Silva (7/10): Shilton showed few moments of individual brilliance but was slow in delivering the final ball in the danger zone.
Nikhil Kadam (8.5/10): The Maharashtra lad had a brilliant as his pacy crosses and overlaps was a menace for the Arrows defenders to deal with. His crosses fell to Dicka and Kromah on several occasions, but the strikers could not find their feet quick enough to finish them off.
Dipanda Dicka (6.5/10): Dicka had an off-day with several misses and hopeless runs but for the opening penalty.
Ansumana Kromah (5.5/10): Kromah was off colour as well and did not show much of his expected performance.
Substitutes
Manandeep Singh (5.5/10): The substitute got a couple of good chances in and outside the box, but he could not place his shots on target and was pretty wasteful.
Azharuddin Mallick (6/10): The youngster added a considerable amount of pressure and pace to Mohun Bagan but it did not yield the required results.
Chelsterpaul Lyngdoh (N/A):