Durand Cup: Mohun Bagan Super Giant overcome Diamond Harbour 5-1, seal QF spot

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Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 9 (ANI): Mohun Bagan Super Giant overcame Diamond Harbour FC 5-1 in dominant fashion to storm into the quarterfinals in the Group B decider of the 134th Durand Cup, which was played here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Saturday. Anirudh Thapa gave the lead for the Mariners as Luka Majcen equalised after five minutes, but Jamie Maclaren, Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad and Jason Cummings ensured that Mohun Bagan qualified for the quarterfinals as group winners. Diamond Harbour will now have to rely on other results to get their place in the knockouts as one of the best second-placed teams, as per a press release. Mohun Bagan Super Giant Head Coach Jose Francisco Molina Jiminez made six changes to his starting line-up bringing in Sahal Abdul Samad, Tekcham Abhishek Singh, Pasang Dorjee Tamang, Jamie Maclaren, Asish Raia and Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia) in place of Manvir Singh, Abhishek Dhanajay Suryavanshi, Dipendu Biswas, Leewan Castanha and Suhail Ahmad Bhat in a 4-4-2 formation. At the same time, Diamond Harbour FC Head Coach Jose Antonio Vicuna Ochandorena maintained the same starting eleven from the first match in a 4-3-3 formation.Mohun Bagan broke the deadlock in the 19th minute as Anirudh Thapa collected a first-time pass on the edge of the box and curled a beautifully struck shot into the top-right corner. Diamond Harbour responded emphatically just four minutes later. A defensive mix-up from Mohun Bagan left Luka Majcen with space in the box, and he capitalised clinically by slotting home past the advancing Vishal Kaith to restore parity.The match remained evenly poised until the 33rd minute when Bagan regained control. A poor pass from the Diamond Harbour goalkeeper gifted possession to Jamie Maclaren, who pounced instantly a precise toe-poke finish that restored the Mariners' lead and sent the home crowd into raptures. As the referee blew for halftime, Mohun Bagan held a narrow lead at 2-1. The half was defined by aggressive pressing, slick transitions, and moments of individual brilliance that could set the tone for a tense second halfThe second half at Salt Lake Stadium began with Mohun Bagan Super Giant holding a slender 2-1 advantage, but it didn't take long for them to tighten their grip on the contest. Just minutes after the restart, the Mariners were awarded a penalty when Liston Colaco was brought down inside the box by Naresh Singh Yendrembam following a sharp run. The foul resulted in the defender receiving a straight red card and Diamond Harbour being reduced to ten men. Colaco stepped up himself for the resultant penalty and converted with composure, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 3-1.Diamond Harbour's hopes of a comeback suffered a major blow soon after when they were reduced to ten men. And Mohun Bagan, sensing the opportunity, pushed forward with more intent and began to dominate possession in the midfield, with Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad pulling the strings.The pressure paid off in the 64th minute when a defensive lapse from Diamond Harbour allowed Sahal to pounce on a loose ball inside the box. With trademark calmness, the midfielder slotted home past the goalkeeper to seal Bagan's fourth goal of the night. In the 80th minute, Jason Cummings positioned himself with acres of space on the edge of the box, and he was played in perfectly by a well-timed pass. With composure and precision, Cummings stroked the ball into the net, marking a splendid fifth goal for Mohun Bagan and underscoring just how one-sided the match had become. The goal summed up a performance where Bagan's tactical discipline, attacking fluidity, and individual skill combined to both entertain the packed crowd and deliver essential quarterfinal qualification.The remainder of the match was under firm Bagan control as they managed possession expertly to bring home a dominant win. (ANI)