Goals from Snehashish Chakraborty and substitute Manish Mathani helped Mohun Bagan open their I-League account with a 2-0 victory over Viva Kerala at the floodlit Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday.
After playing goalless in the first 45 minutes, last year's runners-up drew first blood through Snehashish in the 51st minute.
Having done the goodwork, Snehashish was replaced by 22-year-old Mathani and the Dehradun-born midfielder justified his selection to score the second goal in the last minute of the stoppage time.
Bagan, thus, have three points from as many matches, while Kerala are yet to open their account from two matches.
The win will definitely boost the morale of Mohun Bagan ahead of their derby clash against East Bengal on October 25.
Desperate for their first I-League victory, Bagan, however, started off on a stuttering note.
A depleted Bagan, in the absence of experienced players Jose Ramirez Barreto, N S Manju, N Mohanraj and Deepak Mondal, dished out a sketchy performance with Edeh Chidi having a foregtful day.
The Nigerian import along with Suraj Mondal in the front failed to score, missing a number of chances against the inexperienced Kerala outfit.
{{/usCountry}}The Nigerian import along with Suraj Mondal in the front failed to score, missing a number of chances against the inexperienced Kerala outfit.
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