Mohun Bagan beat JCT 1-0

Kolkata:

Three time champions Mohun Bagan returned to their winning ways after two back-to-back losses getting past JCT Mills, Phagwara, 1-0 in a ninth National Football League exchange here today. Striker Asim Biswas scored a first half winner for Bagan, who kept their opponents under pressure for almost the entire stretch of the match, and could have returned home with a more formidable margin had their forwards not squandered the plethora of chances that came their way. Early breakthrough Bagan, who began on a blitz note carrying out a series of raids into the opponent half, got the goal in the 18th minute as Biswas netted a prompt header after a Noel Wilson 30 yarder hit the bar and rebounded into play. Only two minutes earlier JCT had been lucky to survive as their defender Dhyanesh, in his bid to clear the ball, nearly put the ball into his own goal. However, much to the relief of the JCT camp, the ball hit the post and came back into play. Strong Bagan defence Pushed into the defensive, the millmen tried to launch sporadic raids but failed to put the Bagan defence, manned well by the two central defenders Eduwardo Chacon of Brazil and Nigeria's Ajibade Babalade, under pressure. Bagan, who went down to Goan outfits Dempo Sports Club and Fransa Pax in the last two matches, have now boosted their tally to 10 points from seven games. The Phagwara side, who lifted the title in the inaugural edition of the league, remained on seven from the same number of outings. (PTI)