Vishal Kaith once again emerged as a hero for Mohun Bagan Super Giant, making two critical saves during the penalty shootout that secured their spot in the Durand Cup final. The intense semifinal clash against NorthEast United ended in a 0-0 draw after regular time, but Mohun Bagan triumphed 4-3 in the penalty shootout held on Thursday.
The upcoming final will feature a thrilling Kolkata Derby, where Mohun Bagan faces off against their long-time rivals, East Bengal FC, this Sunday.
The match started with both teams struggling to gain control in midfield, thanks to the soggy pitch that made passing difficult. Instead, both sides often opted for long balls in search of attacking chances.
Midway through the first half, Liston Colaco stepped up to take a free kick that tested NorthEast United’s goalkeeper, Gurmeet Singh, who made a fantastic save. A little later, Kiyan Nassiri had a chance inside the box but instead of passing to a teammate, he shot from a tough angle and hit the side-netting.
NorthEast United nearly broke the stalemate around the 30-minute mark when Alaaeddine Ajaraie collected a high ball from a set-piece and fired a volley that just missed the post. With the slippery conditions complicating plays, both teams turned to set-pieces to create scoring chances, but the three corners each side earned in the first half did not lead to goals.
As the first half drew to a close, Mohun Bagan nearly took the lead when Sahal Abdul Samad intercepted the ball in midfield and attempted a long-range shot as Gurmeet was retreating. However, Gurmeet managed to recover in time to deny the scoring opportunity, and the teams went into halftime still at 0-0, with only a few clear chances created.
The second half mirrored the first, with both teams finding it tough to generate significant scoring opportunities. NorthEast United came closest about an hour in when Ajaraie narrowly missed connecting with a low cross from Abdul Rabeeh. Ajaraie was at it again soon after, gathering a long pass on the left before crossing into the box, but Etyan Gonzalez couldn’t direct his header on target.
As the match went on, NorthEast generated more promising chances, but clear shots were still scarce. Macarton Nickson came close after a good team play that saw the ball cross from the left to his position. Yet, his attempt from inside the box only resulted in a hit to the side-netting.
With no team able to score after 90 minutes, the showdown went to a penalty shootout. Each team converted their first three penalties, keeping things tense. However, when Robin Yadav took NorthEast United’s fourth kick, Kaith guessed right and made an impressive save, giving Mohun Bagan the advantage.
Jamie Maclaren then stepped up and calmly scored, putting Mohun Bagan ahead. Kaith soon made another crucial save by denying Parthib Gogoi, sealing a memorable victory for the Mariners and sending them to the final.
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