Mohun Bagan ride Fran Gonzalez hat-trick to rout NEROCA FC

Mohun Bagan outclassed NEROCA FC 6-2 in an I-League 2019-20 clash on Friday at the Kalyani Municipal Corporation Stadium, West Bengal.

Fran Gonzalez netted hat-trick (10′, 24′, 25′ ), Fran Morante (13′), Papa Diawara (36′) and Alexander Romario (70′) were on target for the hosts while Philp Adjah (41′) and Subhash Singh (45+2′) scored the consolation goals for the visitors.

Mohun Bagan extended their lead to nine points at the top of the table with 29 points from 12 matches, while NEROCA languished at the rock-bottom position with 12 points from 13 matches.

Gift Raikhan made four changes in the NEROCA FC lineup. Taryk Sampson, Zodingliana, Varun Thokchom and Attila Busai came in place of Johnson Singh, Ousmane Diawara, Boubacar Diarra and Jiteshwor Singh.

Kibu Vicuna, on the other hand, did not want to change the winning combination as he fielded an unchanged Mohun Bagan starting lineup.

Mohun Bagan commanded proceedings right from the beginning and went all guns blazing at NEROCA. They picked up the opening goal in the 10th minute when Fran Gonzalez converted a header off Joseba Beitia’s inch-perfect corner.

The hosts doubled their lead after just three minutes. Joseba Beitia’s corner was cleared unconvincingly by Zodingliana which fell to Komron Tursunov. The Tajik forward attempted a shot from the rebound ball and Fran Morante put the ball into the net with a header.

The Green and Maroons scored the third goal in the 24th minute and once Fran Gonzalez was on target. Beitia received a lay-off from Tursunov and sent a cross inside the box and Gonzalez headed the ball into the net.

In the next minute, Fran Gonzalez was brought down inside the box by Pritam Singh when he tried to score a third goal from Beitia’s free-kick. Gonzalez took the resulting penalty but his attempt was stopped.

Bagan’s goal-fest continued as they further extended their lead in the 36th minute. VP Suhair and Papa Diawara exchanged a quick one-two on the right edge of the box before Suhair sent a cross with his outstep. The Senegalese forward received the cross with his chest and found the back of the net.

The visitors pulled one back in the 41st minute when Philip Adjah found the back of the net after receiving a through ball from Subhash Singh.

Fran Gonzalez finally completed his hat-trick at the stroke of half time to increase his team’s goal tally to five. Beitia picked up a lay-off from Nongdamba Naorem inside the box and sent a cross. Diawara flicked the ball to his right in front of the goal and Gonzalez found the back of the net.

Just seconds before the half time whistle, NEROCA scored a second goal. Pritam Singh entered the Bagan box from the right and squared the ball in the middle and Subhash Singh pushed the ball into the net.

NEROCA started the second half on a brighter note after the first half debacle and looked hungry for a quick third goal.

In the 60th minute, Philip Adjah went past Morante at the edge of the box and attempted a shot which hit the crossbar. Ronald Singh attempted a back volley from the rebound ball but Dhanchandra Singh stopped the ball from going in. The Bagan left-back was immediately sent off. Adjah took the resulting penalty but failed to keep his shot on target.

Kibu Vicuna brought in Alexander Romario in the 69th minute and the former Chennai City player scored the sixth goal just seconds after coming on the pitch. The winger slotted the ball home from Joseba Beitia’s free-kick.

The Kolkata giants registered their biggest win of the season and moved a step further to claim their fifth I-League title.