Dicka brace as Mohun Bagan do the double to leave East Bengal in disarray

The striker scored two wonder goals in the first half as the Mariners overpowered the Red and Gold.

Kingfisher East Bengal lost their ‘home’ 2017-18 Hero I-League Kolkata derby to arch-rivals Mohun Bagan 2-0 at the Vivekananda Yuvabharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) on Sunday.

Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka scored a brace with his first one coming inside first two minutes. The second goal in the 35th minute shut shop for the Green and Maroons who won the bragging rights this season by winning both legs of the derby.

Both sides fielded their new signings up top. Dudu Omagbemi joined Willis Plaza up front as Jobby Justin was dropped. Armand Bazie and Laldanmawia Ralte made way as Mohammed Rafique was given a chance by Khalid Jamil.

Sankar Lal Chakraborty in his first derby as full-time in-charge of the Green and Maroons breathed a sigh of relief as his first choice goalkeeper, Shilton Paul was ruled fit. Lebanese striker Akram Moghrabi made his debut in a familiar 4-4-2 system.

It took only two minutes for Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka to open the scoring. Raynier Fernandes beat both Mahmoud Al Amna and Willis Plaza to start the move from the back. Nikhil Kadam then drifted off wide to send in a cross for Moghrabi in the box. He headed in down beautifully for the Cameroonian to shoot in from his first touch.

The afternoon turned worse for Kingfisher East Bengal as Al Amna was struggling to play on and Jamil had to make his first alteration as early as in the fourth minute, bringing on Armand Bazie with Prakash Sarkar drifting to the right side of midfield.

The game continued at a good pace as Mohun Bagan constantly kept attacking from the wings. Both new strikers Dudu and Moghrabi appeared a bit jaded for the respective clubs in their first match on Indian soil this season.

Much to the dismay of the Red and Golds faithful, Willis Plaza’s goal from a header in the 27th minute was disallowed as Katsumi Yusa’s delivery from the corner curled in from the outside the line.

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The lead was doubled in the 35th minute as the home section was silenced. Raynier Fernandes’ pinpoint flag-kick was directed towards Dipanda on the far side of the goal. Arnab Mondal and Salam Ranjan Singh failed to mark the striker and the Bagan number nine leapt to score from a half-volley, going past a hapless Luis Barreto.

Dipanda was called offside within a few minutes of his brace with a move similar to the first goal. This time Cameron Watson lobbed the ball in and Moghrabi laid down but the ball had too much pace in it and Dipanda collided in with Barreto; both coming out unscathed.

Just on the stroke of half-time, Nikhil Kadam could have easily made it 3-0 but he scuffed up a chance with a one-on-one opportunity in front of the keeper as his weak shot was collected by Barreto.

Khalid Jamil took out Arnab Mondal and put in Cavin Lobo as Bazie was sent out to left-back. Salam Ranjan Singh played much better in the second half in a central role.

Rafique then failed to make a proper interception from a low cross from Yusa into the box in the 50th minute.

In the last twenty minutes of the game, Mohun Bagan dominated proceedings as Moghrabi’s effort sailed over the bar from Dipanda’s ball in the 73rd minute.

The energetic Nikhil Kadam was hard to contain in the last ten minutes as he distributed good balls into the box but was failed by his forwards. His wasteful nature hurt his goal return as he had nothing to show even as he hit the bar from a one-on-one situation with the ‘keeper yet again.

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Mohun Bagan moved into the fourth spot with sixteen points from nine games. Kingfisher East Bengal remain third with nineteen points and trail leaders Minerva Punjab by three points but have played two games extra.