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Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh found themselves on the scoresheet as ATK Mohun Bagan claimed the bragging rights in the first-ever Kolkata Derby in the Indian Super League (ISL). This also happened to be the 370th time the two clubs have met in a match and the third face-off between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in the calendar year.
For Antonio Lopez Habas, the win is a significant one as ATK Mohun Bagan not only claimed three points but also managed to keep their second clean sheet in as many games. However, despite the adverse result, SC East Bengal head coach Robbie Fowler can take some solace in the fact that his side did give a good account of themselves.
Having said that, the former Liverpool FC striker will have a lot of work to do ahead of East Bengal's second ISL fixture against Mumbai City FC on Tuesday. ATK Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, will face off against Odisha FC on Thursday.
ATK Mohun Bagan coach Habas will be hoping for more of the same from his side as they now find themselves on top of the table. Of course, it has been just two matches and these are still early days, but it seems as though The Mariners are the favorites to claim the ISL title this season. This would effectively make Antonio Lopez Habas the first manager in the history of the ISL to claim the title three times.
With this fixture being the first-ever Kolkata Derby in the ISL, several players on both sides made their debuts in the derby. In addition to Sandesh Jhingan, the ones who made Kolkata Derby debuts include the likes of Roy Krishna, Carl McHugh, Anthony Pilkington, and Jacques Maghoma.
That said, let's take a look at three players who caught the eye on their Kolkata Derby debuts.
#1 Jacques Maghoma (SC East Bengal)
Playing predominantly on the right wing, Jacques Maghoma was perhaps the best player on the Tilak Maidan field in the first half. While ATK Mohun Bagan resorted to their defensive style of play initially, Maghoma tried to make inroads in a resolute defensive unit comprising Tiri, Sandesh Jhingan and Pritam Kotal.
Although his presence began to wane in the second half, Maghoma was instrumental in set-pieces alongside Anthony Pilkington and came close to scoring on two or three occasions. The 33-year-old former Birmingham City FC striker will be a vital piece in the jigsaw for Robbie Fowler in the course of the ISL season.
#2 Carl McHugh (ATK Mohun Bagan)
The midfielder was the one player who came between SC East Bengal and the ATK Mohun Bagan defensive line. From the start of the game, McHugh was the orchestrator in the midfield. In addition to creating the odd chance for Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh, the Irishman also managed to thwart several attacks, and kept Jacques Maghoma and Balwant Singh at bay.
Carl McHugh was partnered in the midfield with Jayesh Rane and Javi Hernandez. The 27-year-old essentially played the quarter-back role for his side and was a part of almost every attack for his side. McHugh also had a couple of chances to get on the scoresheet when he found himself in good positions, especially from set-piece plays. All in all, this was yet another strong performance from Carl McHugh for ATK Mohun Bagan.
#3 Anthony Pilkington
Playing on the left wing, Anthony Pilkington would certainly be disappointed with his performance in the first half as he was unable to play himself into the game. However, the second half saw a rejuvenated Pilkington. He not only created chances but also took it upon himself to get the team going, especially after Roy Krishna gave The Mariners the lead early in the second half.
The 32-year-old came close to getting his name on the scoresheet on several occasions and managed to link up quite nicely with Jacques Maghoma. Robbie Fowler would surely be banking on the Republic of Ireland international to help SC East Bengal secure a strong finish in the ISL this season.
