ATK Mohun Bagan returned to the summit of the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) standings after a 2-0 victory against NorthEast United FC at the Fatorda Stadium on Sunday. Roy Krishna opened the scoring in the 51st minute and Suhair Vadakkepeedika put the ball into his own net soon after as the Mariners registered a comfortable win.

  • Neither team managed to create many openings in the first half.
  • Roy Krishna gave ATK Mohun Bagan the lead early in the second half.
  • A Suhair Vadakkepeedika own goal doubled ATK Mohun Bagan’s lead in the 58th minute.

After a quiet start to the game, ATK Mohun Bagan came close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute when a Carl McHugh header from an Edu Garcia cross flew over the target. Dylan Fox then put a header of his own wide of the target in the 26th minute after a short corner by NorthEast.

ATK Mohun Bagan then registered a shot on target in the 28th minute when Prabir Das’ left-footed effort from the right side of the box made its way into the NorthEast goalkeeper’s hands. The Kolkata giants enjoyed slightly more possession but neither side managed to create any clear-cut chances for the remainder of the half as the teams went into the break with the score goalless.

The Mariners, though, required just six minutes of the second period to break the deadlock. The goal came through Krishna, who was positioned perfectly near the six-yard box to head a Tiri flick on from a corner into the back of the net. They doubled their lead seven minutes later after a Suhair own goal.

The Highlanders had a half chance to pull one back on the hour mark when a cross from the left took a touch on its way before finding Rochharzela, who couldn’t quite keep his effort on target. Tiri then had an opportunity to extend his side’s lead but failed to make the most of his header from yet another ATK Mohun Bagan corner in the 67th minute.

NorthEast came agonizingly close to halving the deficit in the 71st minute when a Federico Gallego freekick from a threatening area clipped the top of the crossbar before going behind for a goalkick. ATK Mohun Bagan then looked to deny NorthEast any momentum of making a comeback by keeping possession of the ball.

The Highlanders tried their best to press the ball and regain possession, but the Mariners made it increasingly difficult to do so as the match approached its closing stages. In the end, NorthEast failed to create any chances of note in the final minutes barring a goal-mouth scramble as ATK Mohun Bagan registered their first victory of the new year.

Hero of the Match – Roy Krishna

Roy Krishna was adjudged Hero of the Match again after another inspiring performance that helped ATK Mohun Bagan to victory. The Fijian striker netted the opener for the Mariners in the second half and kept NorthEast’s defenders on their toes. Besides his goal-scoring, Krishna was also a vocal leader on the pitch and put in a tireless display from start to finish.

Other Match Awards:

Club Award – ATK Mohun Bagan

DHL Winning Pass of the Match – Tiri (ATK Mohun Bagan)

Watch the Match Highlights here: