TheSportsCampus

< Prev		Next >

With star striker and talismanic skipper Baichung Bhutia ruled out of the Federation Cup Final due to knee injuries, Mohun Bagan went into the clash against Dempo on Sunday evening as firm underdogs.

Though Bagan are 2nd in the I-league a couple of places ahead of today's opponents and playing in front of a delirious conglomeration of football fans, Dempo were the far superior team going into the final, playing attractive football at both ends of the pitch and were the firm ‘Pundits Picks' for the encounter.

The Dempo team also had the added incentive of playing the game in memory of former Brazilian striker Junior who died tragically when these two teams last met in the final in 2004.

Bagan with history on their side, having won the competition 12 times in the past, started the brighter. They had the best chance of the first half to go ahead when a cross from the left wing found Jose Baretto in the box, only for Dempo keeper Satish Kumar to pull off a good save. Though the half ended nil-nil, it wasn't without incident as the challenges kept flying in thick and fast; and a couple of players from both sides found themselves in Referee Pradeep Kumar's notebook.

The second half saw the tempo pick-up significantly as Bagan poured forward with attack after attack. Pachau Lalam Puia was having an excellent game and almost scored immediately after the restart. In the 67th minute Puia was played through on the Dempo right in a three-on-three break. Puia selfishly went for a tight angle at the near post which was fisted behind by Kumar. Baretto was extremely disappointed not to have been played in as he was completely unmarked in acres of space at the far post.

However the skillful Brazilian's disappointment was short lived. Lal Kamal's corner from the subsequent set piece resulted in a melee in the Dempo penalty area as Satish Kumar came charging off his line, but ended up flapping at the ball. Baretto came flying in as the ball fell kindly to him in the penalty area and he hammered it hard into the roof of the net. One nil to Bagan.

Dempo pushed for an equalizer in the last 20 minutes, but were dealt a severe blow when Nigerian striker Ranti Martins Soleye was sent off for his second book-able offence with 10 minutes still left to play.

With time ticking away, the spirit of the Dempo players appeared to be waning and Bagan held onto possession well to ensure that there were no cause for concern in the dying moments.

Salt Lake Stadium exploded at the final whistle as the Kolkatan Club's fanatical supporters went berserk celebrating a famous win.

Final Score: Mohun Bagan 1 - 0 Dempo Sports Club