Mohun Bagan Super Giant Dimitri Petratos was proud of the team's comeback in the Durand Cup 2024 semi-final against Bengaluru FC and heaped praise on goalkeepers Vishal Kaith, as they beat the Blues on penalties to secure their place in the final for a successive season.

Defending champions Mohun Bagan SG rallied from a two-goal deficit to equalise the scores and then beat Bengaluru FC in a nerve-racking penalty shootout to emerge victorious.  

Going to the penalty shootouts, Vishal Kaith repeated his heroics as he denied Halicharan Narzary and Aleksandar Jovanovic’s efforts to lead the Mariners to the Durand Cup final for the second consecutive time.

“Vishal (Kaith) is the hero today with two penalty saves. We trust him. It’s another step to the final. One more game,” Petratos told indiansuperleague.com while praising Kaith for his outstanding performance.

The Australian forward also had words of praise for Anirudh Thapa, who scored the equaliser with a fine strike, which brought them back into the game. 

Speaking in context, he said, “Thapa scored a wonderful goal to get us back to 2-2. This was great.”

“We never gave up. This is the one thing we say about the game and take it to the next match and coming season. I am very happy and proud of the boys,” he added.

Despite going down by two goals, Jose Molina’s men created numerous chances and dominated the game in the second half. The Mariners could have finished the game within regulation time, had they capitalised on their opportunities.

“This is normal (missing chances). The good thing is we are creating chances. We are getting a good understanding, so we need to build on this,” he stated.

The Australian also spoke highly about new signing Greg Stewart. Stewart came off the bench against the Blues and was effective with his sharp footwork and agile movements.

Sharing his thoughts on Stewart, Petratos said, "You see the quality of Greg (Stewart). He is an amazing player.”

“He can play in many places. He has lots of experience. He came on, did great, and helped the team. Look forward to playing more with him in the coming season,” he signed off.

We play to win trophies: Subhasish Bose

Bose has been instrumental for the Mariners in their run to the Durand Cup final this season, helping them remain unbeaten so far. 

The defender underlined the significance of winning trophies, especially while representing an iconic club like Mohun Bagan SG with a glorious history over the past century.

Bose was subbed off after picking up a knock during the semi-final match against Bengaluru FC. However, he highlighted their collective team spirit and do-or-die mentality behind their comeback.

“The team showed great character. We can fight back. Dippendu (Biswas) played outstandingly coming off the bench. Every player played well, and we won as a team. I am proud of this team,” Bose said during an interview with indiansuperleague.com.

The local lad is determined to defend the Durand Cup on their home turf in front of their thousands of passionate supporters as they prepare for another final in Kolkata.

“The club won numerous trophies over the years. We play to win trophies, and we’ll try to fulfill our fans’ wishes. Our focus is to win the Durand Cup again,” he added.

Bose also had words of praise for Kaith, who has been phenomenal with his crucial saves in decisive moments.

Speaking in this regard, the defender remarked, “Vishal (Kaith) is one of India’s best goalkeepers nowadays.”

“He is proving this on the field. I hope he will play well for the national team in the coming days,” he concluded.

Related tags:

2024-2025 Vishal KaithSubhasish BoseDimitrios Petratos