I-League 2017: Mohun Bagan vs Indian Arrows, 5 Talking Points
Mohun Bagan hosted the young Indian Arrows on a historic afternoon for the Kolkata giants as they played their first I-League match at the Mohun Bagan ground.
The sides had to share the spoils as the young Indian Arrows put on a resilient defensive display in front of the packed Kolkata crowd. Asier Dipanda Dicka had put the Mariners in the lead through a penalty in the 27th minute but the Arrows got back on level terms quickly.
Rahim Ali went on a breezy run on the left wing and KP Rahul finished past Shilton Paul in the 34th minute to draw level. Arrows held on after the goal and even had a man sent off but maintained their shape and won an incredibly impressive point from a tough fixture.
Mohun Bagan made the early pressure count
Mohun Bagan began the match on a positive note constantly pressuring the young Arrows side with their incisive runs on both the wings. Sheikh Faiaz and Nikhil Kadam were operating on the flanks and were a constant source of trouble for the Indian Arrows full-backs.
Mohun Bagan had a couple of chances in the initial minutes with Ansumana Kromah and Abhishek Das coming close to scoring the opener. Even midfielder Shilton D'Silva had an open header from a cross but failed to hit the target.
Finally, the Mariners made the breakthrough with a penalty as Nikhil Kadam was brought down in the box by Arrows' Asish Rai. Dipanda Dicka scored the spot-kick twice for the home side after his initial effort was cancelled out by the referee.