Mohun Bagan Super Giant suffered a 1-3 defeat to Mumbai City FC in the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023- 24 season in Kolkata on Saturday as they missed out on the ISL double.  

Although it was the Mariners who bagged the opener through Jason Cummings, the Islanders were more dominant throughout the match, attempting 15 shots compared to Mohun Bagan SG’s eight.

With one of their best footballing displays this season, Petr Kratky’s men overturned the one-goal deficit and concluded the game with a 1-3 win, lifting their second ISL Cup in the process. 

Australian forward Jason Cummings finished the season third on the list of top goalscorers of the season, with 12 goals to his name in his first season in India, only a goal behind the ISL 2023-24 Golden Boot winner, Dimitrios Diamantakos, and second-placed Roy Krishna. 

The Mohun Bagan SG striker acknowledged that the Islanders were more determined and deserved to win the final and lift the trophy. 

“It’s just the final, you know. The better team won on the day. I feel they wanted it more, they played better. And that just happens sometimes in football, you win some, you lose some. That’s life,” stated Cummings while speaking to www.indiansuperleague.com after the match.

He added, “We've got to take the positives. We've had a good season. Winning the Shield was a memorable moment. We're obviously devastated. We're gutted. We wanted to win it for the fans. They supported us all season. And they were there today cheering us on. And it just wasn't good enough. It wasn't our day. So that's it.”

Albeit the loss in the final, the Mariners still drew curtains to their 2023-24 season with success in the Durand Cup 2023 and the ISL League Shield win, which has now paved their way to the AFC Champions League 2 main draw for the 2024-25 season.

Excited about the upcoming season, the 28-year-old shared, “We're looking forward to that. Firstly, we enjoy the break, it's been a long season. Now it’s time to go back and spend some time with family and friends. And you know we'll come back stronger. And it's going to be an exciting season, next season. So you know we're looking forward to that. So it's going to be a good challenge for us in the AFC (Champions League 2). And you know we're more than capable. So we need to obviously learn.”

I am proud of the boys: Dimitri Petratos

Player of the League for the ISL 2023-24 season, Dimitri Petratos, was disheartened to have lost the match. The Australian contributed seven assists and ten goals in the ongoing ISL season for the Mariners. 

The 31-year-old credited his teammates for giving it their all throughout the season.

“Today was I guess not our day. We played better games, but we can't win them all. I am proud of the boys, all the players. Everybody put in the effort throughout the whole season, but that just didn't happen today, that's all,” stated Petratos.