ATK Mohun Bagan stayed in contention for a knockout berth in the Durand Cup with a 2-0 win over Indian Navy in a Group B fixture at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata on Wednesday. (More Football News)
Lenny Rodriguez opened the scoring for the Green & Maroons while Kiyan Nassiri got the second of the game, which was otherwise played at a pedestrian pace.
As a result, ATKMB now have seven points from their four group games while the Indian Navy have one. With just one more game left to play, the Indian Navy are practically out of the tournament.
ATKMB's Spanish coach Juan Ferrando made eight changes in his side from the one that started against Emami East Bengal in the previous game. ATKMB started on the front foot, making regular forays on the Navy goal.
The first goal came in the 18th minute. Deepak Tangri, one of the players who had started in the East Bengal game, found Manvir Singh on the right with a long ball. The ATKMB number 11 squared to Fardeen Ali Mollah, lurking on the edge of the box.
The young Santosh Trophy star took out two defenders while feigning his receive with a wonderful turn and played on Rodriguez, who created space on his left and beat keeper Vishnu with a grounded left-footer to the near corner.
Lenny almost got his second four minutes later with a wonderful curler from distance but this time Vishnu did well to fend it off.
Fardeen then got his second assist of the game after Kiyan played a quick 1-2 with him to burst through the Navy defence and finish clinically, wrong footing the keeper.
Navy had a chance to pull one back after Pritam Kotal fluffed his lines and Shreyas VG pounced on it, but his effort went over. He found himself at the end of a through a minute later yet again, but keeper Kaith came out to nip his effort in the bud.
The game slowed down further in the second half with ATKMB trying to keep possession in the middle of the park.
