Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance despite their dramatic 3-2 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday.

The Mariners opened the scoring through Jamie Maclaren, but Kerala Blasters FC turned the game on its head in the second half, taking a 2-1 lead. Mohun Bagan fought back, equalising through Jason Cummings before Alberto Rodriguez sealed the win with a stunning injury-time goal, leaving the Blasters heartbroken.

This marked Mohun Bagan’s fourth consecutive win and their eighth of the season, keeping them firmly at the top of the standings. Reflecting on the match, Molina praised his team’s fighting spirit but was critical of their overall performance and the errors that allowed Kerala Blasters FC to capitalise.

“We didn’t perform really well today. It was not a good match for us. In my opinion, it has been the worst match we have played in the whole season. Kerala Blasters FC did really well. They created chances to score. We didn't understand really well what the match demanded of us but the good point is the players tried until the end, pushing very hard. It's the character of our team to keep fighting till the end, trying to win, trying to win. And I'm happy with the three points and the team spirit. But it was a complicated match because we failed a lot of easy passes and we were not good in possession. Even the two goals we conceded, it was two big mistakes. Not happy with the performance. It can happen sometimes but I'm happy with the spirit of the team and with the last moment we tried, tried and tried. And finally we were successful, scoring three goals and winning the match,” Molina said in the post-match press conference.

Defender Alberto Rodriguez, who had also scored in the season opener against Mumbai City FC, netted his second goal of the campaign. The Spaniard struck a long-range effort from outside the box that deflected and crept into the back of the net, securing crucial all three points in a pulsating encounter.

“The truth is Alberto surprised everybody, even us. It was a great finish, a great shot. We always talk about finishing the action. Try, try, try.. It doesn't matter. In that moment, the ball dipped and the shot.. and finally was successful scoring the winning goal. I’m happy for him. Happy for the team. The most important thing from today’s match was the team spirit. Fighting, fighting, fighting. Even with the mistakes, the players tried again. Going forward, finally we were lucky and we achieved the three points,” Molina stated.

While Rodriguez grabbed the headlines with his late winner, substitute Ashique Kuruniyan made a significant impact on the left flank. His pace and creativity caused problems for the Kerala Blasters FC defense, as he delivered dangerous crosses and played a key role in Cummings’ goal. His contributions earned him the Player of the Match award. Molina was pleased with Kuruniyan’s performance but stressed the importance of managing his minutes due to his injury history.

“Really happy for him. He’s a really good player. Really fast, good technique, brilliant with shots. Sometimes being in the side as a winger, it’s not easy to shoot but he shot and provided two crosses.. The point is he had an important injury in the past and we have to take care of him. Because if he plays too much, maybe he will get injured again,” Molina explained.

“Even today, he finished with some pain. It’s not normal when you have a long-term injury. You recover, but you keep calm. Really happy (for him). Really good player. He’s working really well but we need to keep calm with him and give him minutes (where) he can find the right fitness,” he added.