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Match 76 of I-League saw a crucial encounter between two teams in the running for the title as Mohun Bagan visited the highlands of Imphal to take on table toppers NEROCA FC at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Manipur.
Before this game, the home side sat on the top of the table with 31 points from their sixteen matches. Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, were in the fourth spot with 21 points from fourteen matches and had to win to stay in the title race.
Mohun Bagan clinched a five-goal thriller 3-2 as NEROCA's title hopes received a huge blow. All the five goals were scored in the first half as the lead see-sawed from one side to another.
NEROCA FC
Bishorjit Singh (5/10) - The NEROCA keeper was guilty of conceding the penalty that led to the first equalizing goal by Dipanda Dicka. He produced good saves between the sticks as Mohun Bagan kept attacking with intensity.
Ngasepan Tondonba (6/10) - Tondonba played on the left back position and was good whenever NEROCA attacked with his overlaps. His long ball inside the box led to the second goal scored by Felix Chidi.
Varney Kallon (6/10) - The skipper of the NEROCA side was always involved in the match, whether in defence or during setpieces. He did well to keep Akram Moghrabi in check and was a threat from setpieces due to his physicality.
Gouramangi Singh (4/10) - The former India international began the match in the central defence but was hurt when he collided with a Bagan player. He was substituted in the first half as Sushil Singh replaced him.
Ashok Singh (5/10) - The defender put in a decent performance against the formidable Bagan attack with good tackles and clearances from the back.
Yumnam Gopi (4.5/10) - The attacking midfielder had a poor day in the office as he struggled against the defence of Mohun Bagan. He was replaced at the start of the second half by Pritam Singh.
Vorbe Jean (5.5/10) - The midfielder tried to nullify the threat of Cameron Watson in the midfield. He was always a threat from setpieces for NEROCA as he kept the Bagan defence on their toes.
Saran Singh (6.5/10) - The attacking midfielder played primarily on the right side and provided some great through balls for the attackers. He was the de-facto setpiece taker for the home side and put in great deliveries into the box.
Aryn Williams (6.5/10) - The Australian midfielder was the controller of the game in the midfield for the NEROCA side. He distributed the ball well from the centre and found good runs from the attackers up ahead.
Subhash Singham (8.5/10) - The former Mumbai City FC man gave the home side the lead in the 16th minute with a great finish lobbing the ball over Shilton Paul. He was agile on the left wing with a lot of incisive runs and efforts on goal. He won the man of the match award.
Felix Chidi (7.5/10) - The attacker was a constant threat in the box for the Bagan side with his movement and physicality up ahead. He scored in the first half to give NEROCA the lead for the second time in the match and had a lot of shots on the goal in the second half as well.
Substitutes:
Sushil Singh (5/10) - The former Mumbai FC man came on in place of Gourmangi Singh, who received a knock and was taken off. He did well to attack from the central midfield and made good runs into the box. He was replaced in the final ten minutes when Nick Ward came on.
Pritam Singh (4.5/10) - The attacker replaced Yumnam Gopi as the NEROCA coach Gift Raikhan introduced fresh legs in the attack hoping to get an equalising goal.
Nick Ward (3.5/10) - The former Australian youth international made his debut for NEROCA when he came on in the 81st minute to replace Sushil Singh as Gift Raikhan played his final roll of the die.
Mohun Bagan
Shilton Paul (6/10) - The Bagan keeper was beaten twice in the first half but the defenders were at fault on both occasions. He put in a good second half shift as NEROCA turned on the pressure with lots of crosses into the box.
Arijit Bagui (6.5/10) - The right-back of the Mohun Bagan side was active on the flank. He made a lot of crosses and his delivery was met by Watson in the box for the second goal for Bagan.
Kingsley Eze (6/10) - The tall centre-back was a rock in the defence for the away side as he stood tall against the feisty NEROCA FC attack. He was a threat from setpieces as well for the visitors.
Kinshuk Debnath (4.5/10) - The central defender had a poor first half as he was caught out twice by the NEROCA strikers and the mistakes led to two goals.
Ricky Lallawma (5.5/10) - The left-back had a decent match on the flank as he made some runs on the overlap and defended well against the wingers of the home side.
Nikhil Kadam (6/10) - The former DSK Shivajians man was a constant threat on the right flank with his twists and turns and good deliveries in the box. His cross led to the third goal for the away side
Cameron Watson (6.5/10) - The Australian played just ahead of Yuta Kinowaki in the midfield and moved the ball around well. He made a great run inside the box that led to the second goal scored by Dipanda Dicka.
Yuta Kinowaki (7/10) - The Japanese was chosen ahead of Raynier Fernandes in the midfield and played as the central defensive midfielder. He broke up a lot of counters by NEROCA and was crucial in the middle as Mohun Bagan dominated the midfield play. His header from Nikhil Kadam's cross was slotted in by Moghrabi for Mohun Bagan's third goal at the end of the first half.
Azharuddin Mallick (6/10) - The winger played on the left flank and made a lot of great runs and kept the NEROCA defence occupied and alert at all times. He was replaced by Sheikh Faiaz in a like for like replacement by the Bagan coach at the hour mark.
Asier Dipanda Dicka (8/10) - I-League's top scorer maintained his golden form as he scored two goals in the first half of the match. The first was a well-taken penalty into the top corner and the second was an easy tap-in after a great run by Cameron Watson in the box.
Akram Moghrabi (7/10) - The Lebanese striker was dangerous in the box for the Bagan side with his great off the ball play and runs. He got a goal at the end of the first half when he headed in Kinowaki's headed pass to hand Bagan a 3-2 lead.
Substitutes:
Sheikh Faiaz (4/10) - The young winger replaced Mullick in the attack and did well on the flanks.
Raynier Fernandes (4/10) - The midfielder came on for the final five minutes as Mohun Bagan coach put on defensive cover to protect the lead.
Rana Gharami (3/10) - The central defender came on to replace Dipanda Dicka in the added time of the second half.
