Mohun Bagan Super Giant secured a point against East Bengal FC despite trailing by a goal twice in the game. The Indian Super League (ISL) saw one of its most entertaining Kolkata Derbies since the inception of two Kolkata-based teams in the league.

Ajay Chhetri scored his first Kolkata Derby goal in the third minute, giving his side an early lead in the high-octane clash, while Armando Sadiku equalised for the Mariners in the 17th minute. Though the Red and Gold Brigade regained their lead through Captain Cleiton Silva’s spot-kick in the 55th minute, Antonio Habas’ side made a late comeback with Dimitri Petratos’ robust strike that kept the score level after the final whistle.

Just after the high-voltage fixture ended, versatile Aussie forward Petratos, captain defender Bose, and one of the Mariners’ defensive stalwarts, Brendan Hamill, shared their insights on this match.

We created a lot of chances but couldn't get the win: Dimitri Petratos

Petratos scored a very important equaliser just before full-time that helped Mohun Bagan SG continue their unbeaten run against East Bengal FC in the ISL. The 31-year-old scored his third goal in Kolkata Derby history to put a curtain on their three consecutive ISL defeats and secure a point in this classic fixture.

Petratos acknowledged that his team created numerous chances throughout the game and was committed to securing all three points. 

“We created a lot of chances but couldn't get the win in the end. We wanted to go out and win the game. In the end, we got one point, but we wanted to win,” Petratos told indiansuperleague.com.

The Australian though was happy with the character his team showed in the match.

“We fought till the end. We went down two times, and we came back. So, we showed character,” he shared.

He was overwhelmed to see the lively presence of their thousands of supporters, whose enthusiasm motivated them throughout the entire game. 

“The fans were amazing. So, thank you for coming out, but sorry for not getting the win,” he commented.

Defenders Anwar Ali and Brendan Hamill went off injured for the Mariners but Petratos was positive about the players returning from injury.

“Of course, it's not good to get injured, but we have to continue in the game. They have more than a week to recover, and hopefully, they will be ready for the next game,” he said.

Petratos, who won the Player of the Match award, is already looking forward to the next match as Mohun Bagan SG look to get back to winning ways.

“We have to focus now on the next match. This game is finished,” he stated.

“Now we need to recover, and then during the week focus on Hyderabad and get the win there. It's important next game,” he signed off.

We could have won the game: Subhasish Bose

 

Mohun Bagan SG’s captain, Bose, also shared that the result could have been in their favour if they capitalised on their goalscoring opportunities. However, he is satisfied with his players’ attitude and fighting spirit but believes that they should be precise in terms of converting their chances.

“Our team showed very good character by coming back twice in this game (against East Bengal FC). We created more chances today, which could be converted into goals. Moving forward, in the upcoming matches, we should increase our conversion rate,” Bose shared.

“We could have won the game. Each player on our team tried to give their best in the match. The players who came in as substitutes in the form of Sumit Rathi and Amandeep utilised the chance by giving their all,” he continued.

We showed character but wanted three points: Brendan Hamill

 

The Australian defender also opines that they showed intensity and a desire to get three points. But he wants his players to find out where they can improve to secure victory.

“We went down twice, but we came back. We showed character,” he said.

“But we want three points. We did not get that (three points) in this match, so we have to look into this and figure out how we can improve,” he concluded.

Related tags:

Mohun Bagan Super GiantEast Bengal FC2023-2024 Subhasish BoseDimitrios Petratos