ATK Mohun Bagan took a major step towards securing a place in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win against Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda.
The defeat dented BFC's hopes of making it to the top four. As far as ATKMB is concerned, they are third on the points level with second-placed Jamshedpur FC.
Liston Colaco (45+1') scored his eighth goal of the season with a sensational free-kick to give his team the lead. Manveer Singh (85) added a second late in the game and put the result beyond doubt.
On an early occasion, Liston Colaco tested Lara Sharma with a direct free-kick, but the goalkeeper was determined to collect the ball. At the other end, Clayton Silva threatened to score but managed to send his volley over the crossbar. At the half-hour mark, Sunil Chhetri was left unmarked in the box but his header went off target, leaving him disappointed.
ATK Mohun Bagan suffered a setback in the first half as Hugo Baumus was replaced in the 40th minute, possibly due to injury. When it looked like both teams would go into the halftime break without a goal, the impasse was broken by a moment of individual brilliance. Liston Colaco's powerful direct free-kick beat Sharma into goal just before the halftime whistle to give ATKMB the lead.
Nine minutes after the restart, Manveer Singh found an acre behind BFC's backline, but his shot was blocked by poor decision making on his part. Moments later, Colaco was serviced by Joni Cauco, but saw his shot hit the left post. The head coach of BFC made several changes to save the season and turn the game around the hour mark.
Bengaluru FC were more in possession in the final leg of the match but struggled to create clear scoring chances. To put an end to any hope of a comeback, Manveer Singh scored in the 85th minute with a precise finish in the bottom left corner. After the strike, there was no fight left in the BFC camp and ATKMB won easily.
ATK Mohun Bagan will lock horns with Chennaiyin FC in their next outing at the PJN Stadium on Thursday, while Bengaluru FC will take on SC East Bengal in their last league match of the season at the Tilak Maidan stadium on Saturday.