Internet Desk: The defending champions registered their first ever win in Bengaluru as they downed the reigning Federation Cup winners. Mohun Bagan downed Bengaluru FC 2-0 riding on second half goals from Jeje Lalpekhlua (73’) and Sony Norde (93’) after the home side were down to ten men with Lalcchuanmawia Fanai sent-off in the 61st minute.
On asking the Mariners coach that was he confident enough of defeating Bengaluru FC comprehensively on their home soil as Mohun Bagan was unable to defeat Bengaluru FC till yesterday at the Kanteerava, the gaffer replied,” If I did not have that belief and confidence on my team, we would have failed to achieve the victory. Losing or winning a match does not decode the champions. I feel it’s nothing to be so much happy about. The league is still a long way to go. Did anybody believe that Manchester United would have lost to Sunderland? But they lost it. In the same way last season we thrashed Bengaluru FC 4-1 at the Salt lake Stadium but drew it on their home soil coming from behind. So, I advised my boys to play attacking football from the word go. Bengaluru FC underestimates their opponents and shows that they are the best. I wanted to put an end to that. I am successful on that perspective. But we could have won it 5-0 had the chances been converted. Now we have reduced our deficit from East Bengal and Bengaluru FC which is satisfying for me.”
The gaffer did not have any such targets from the first leg of the league. He persisted on assessing match by match. Sanjoy added,” I don’t want to pressurize my boys by giving them any targets. As I have said before the start of the league, my focus will be on match by match. My next target is the Shillong Lajong FC match on the 17th February at the Barasat.”
Sanjoy Sen looked very annoyed with Ashley Westwood’s attitude in the dugout and the technical area. He said,” Fourth Official and the Match commissioner were close enough to judge what was going on. Westwood was continuously destructing our players and used abusive languages which are against FIFA rules. But neither the fourth official nor the match commissioner put any objection which is astonishing. Even Khalid Jamil, the Mumbai FC coach insisted his players to hit at Sony’s legs which is against FIFA’s regulations.
Sanjoy Sen feels Mohun Bagan had a little advantage after Bengaluru FC were down to 10-men in the 61st minute. He signed off saying,” It’s a team effort. I don’t want to take any name in particular. This may hamper the confidence of others.”