Vinith Venkatesh scores the 3rd goal for Bengaluru FC.
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
Former champion Bengaluru FC beat a 10-man Mohammedan Sporting SC 3-2 on Tuesday to complete its Group B league assignment with an all-win record and progressed to the quarterfinals of the 133rd Durand Cup. Bengaluru FC, fielding a full-strength team, took control of the proceedings against a young Mohammedan Sporting side that came with an all-Indian lineup.
Bengaluru FC found the opening goal from a corner which was nodded home by its tall Australian defender Aleksandar Jovanovic in the seventh minute. Bengaluru FC doubled the lead in the 22nd minute when the Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz’s sharp attempt was deflected home by the Mohammedan Sporting defender Dipu Halder. Vinith Venkatesh made it 3-0 by the hour mark to virtually seal the match for Bengaluru FC. Mohammedan Sporting livened up its attacks in the final quarter of the action and pulled one back in the 77th minute through substitute Israfil Dewan, who scored with a spectacular header. The home side, which saw its goalkeeper Subhajit Bhattacharjee sent off with a straight red in the 81st minute, continued the offensive and saw another substitute Mahitosh Roy making it 3-2 with a fine long-ranger in the injury time.
Local side Bodoland FC picked up the first win of the tournament with a 2-0 win over a youthful Odisha FC side, in a Group E match at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar (Assam).
The result:
Group B (Kolkata): Mohammedan Sporting 2 (Israfil Dewan 77, Mahitosh Roy 90+3) lost to Bengaluru FC 3 (Aleksandar Jovanovic 7, Dipu Halder 22-og, Vinith Venkatesh 60).
Group E (Kokrajhar): Bodoland FC 2 (Dilliram Sanyasi 42, Arjun Mardi 88) bt Odisha FC 0.
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