Krishna shines as ATK Mohun Bagan do the double in the Kolkata derby

The Fijian striker got his 14th goal of the season and had two assists in the 3-1 win against SC East Bengal that took ATK Mohun Bagan five points clear at the top of the standings

Inside the first minute and with his first touch, Ankit Mukherjee conceded a throw. Even in the sanitised environment of a closed stadium over 2000km from the heaving, throbbing cauldron the Salt Lake stadium would have been in another time, nerves can sneak up on players in a Kolkata derby. Lenny Rodrigues’ poor touch also yielding a throw and the attempted delivery he skewed into the night sky too can be explained by that. As can Tiri’s own-goal, leaping to clear a long throw when no SC East Bengal player was off the floor, leaked by a defence that has been the surest in the Indian Super League (ISL). Or Danny Fox’s error.

It happens in derbies. It happened in Goa on Friday, it could happen in the Bundesliga’s Revierderby, the Premier League’s Merseyside derby on Saturday and in Milan’s battle royale on Sunday.

Till Tiri erred, ATK Mohun Bagan were looking secure at the back, sure in the middle and skillful in front. By the 15th minute, they were ahead too; Tiri making the most of SC East Bengal back three’s high line and Roy Krishna doing the rest. The long ball bypassed the midfield --- a hoof ball, said Jacques Maghoma later --- and as Krishna peeled away from Raju Gaikwad, it was going to end only one way. With two loping right-foot touches Krishna controlled the ball, used his left foot to take it away from Subrata Paul and finished the tap-in with his right again before Fox, Gaikwad and Sarthak Golui could catch up. The Fijian does not just wear his hair like a Samurai; he has the strength and suppleness of one as well as two assists and a superb work ethic showed in the 3-1 win.

Krishna’s 14th goal of ISL7 --- he leads the race for the golden boot --- was also the sixth successive game he has scored in this term. Only Kalu Uche in 2017-18 and Elano in 2014 have done that in ISL’s seven-year history. Soon after, David Williams ran behind the high line but this time SC East Bengal averted danger. In the 23rd minute, ATK Mohun Bagan began a move on the left through Sandesh Jhingan and Subhasish Bose, moved the ball to the right when Williams found Marcelinho whose shot from close was saved by Paul narrowing the angle.

ATK Mohun Bagan dominate

The evening’s first chance too fell to the ISL7 leaders when Golui was dispossessed by Williams. Krishna’s shot was blocked but the move continued with Bose delivering from the left; the ball taking a touch off Krishna which put Manvir Singh off his stride. The high line was again almost punished in the 39th minute when Carl McHugh found Krishna who took Gaikwad out of the equation with a diagonal run.

ATK Mohun Bagan had begun by attacking the right side of SC East Bengal’s defence through Bose. Bright Enobakhare was contained in not-so-dangerous areas with Jhingan, Pritam Kotal and McHugh ---- the Nigerian did take out three players in the 66th minute but the move ended with Anthony Pilkington playing a pass that was too long for Matti Steinman --- and proof of how the first half went for the ISL debutants lay in them not having a shot on target. It was a half where Enobakhare and Pilkington were arguing with referee Tejas Nagvenkar. Jacques Maghoma wasn’t but was kept quiet by ATK Mohun Bagan.

Despite throwing Aaron Holloway in with Enobakhare, Pilkington and Maghoma, SC East Bengal’s first real chance came in the 82nd minute when Golui headed over. After having stood tall for 87 minutes, Kotal was made to chase a crooked shadow by Enobakhare who also beat Rodrigues but Arindam Bhattacharja forced a corner-kick.

That SC East Bengal still scored in the 41st minute was because Gaikwad’s long throw caused disarray with Jhingan and Tiri colliding and the ball grazing the Spaniard’s head. ATK Mohun Bagan had slipped and it had nothing to do with the rain.

Fox’s error

It probably gave SC East Bengal some impetus and they looked more compact at the start of the second half. But the ATK Mohun Bagan frontline trio of Marcelinho, Krishna and Williams kept pressing and it told when Fox erred. Krishna stole and laid it on for his mate from the A-League and as Williams made it 2-1 in the 72nd minute, Fox’s face was contorted in agony. “Would have loved to do it in front of the fans,” Williams told the official broadcaster later.

ATK Mohun Bagan then hit on the counter in the 89th minute. Substitute Javi Hernandez won a ball, played to Krishna who essayed a weighted pass for Hernandez to head home. “I am not happy that we conceded off a set-piece but we showed character in the second half,” said Krishna who scored 15 goals last season and had a goal in the first-leg of the derby too.

Hernandez’s goal was the 10th ATK Mohun Bagan had scored in the final quarter. Only FC Goa have as many this term. The double done in the Kolkata derby also meant that this was the first time Antonio Lopez Habas has won five ISL games on the trot. On 39 points from 18 games, ATK Mohun Bagan are five points ahead of Mumbai City FC after having played a game more.

“Football’s very complicated so we just need to continue. Our target is to win the regular league now and then think about the playoffs. But, yes, I am very proud of the boys,” said Habas.