Mohun Bagan Super Giant produced a breathtaking attacking display as they demolished South United Football Club 8-0 in their Group A clash of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday.
The Mariners made it two wins from two matches and strengthened their position at the top of the group with six points. South United, who also began the competition with a victory, remain on three points after suffering a heavy defeat.
Manvir Singh was the standout performer, scoring three times, while Suhail Ahmad Bhat struck twice. Alberto Rodríguez and Rahul Bheke also found the net, with South United captain Noel S inadvertently scoring an own goal.
Mohun Bagan needed only four minutes to open the scoring. Sahal Abdul Samad produced a superb reverse pass to split the South United defence, allowing Manvir to control the ball before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Sunil Singh.
The advantage was doubled six minutes later when Anirudh Thapa’s corner found Alberto Rodríguez, who rose above the defence and powered his header into the net.
South United struggled to contain the relentless pressure. Sahal struck the woodwork, while Sunil Singh made several important saves to prevent the scoreline from becoming even more one-sided.
The third goal arrived in the 19th minute. Dejan Dražić combined with Thapa before finding Rahul Bheke, whose towering header gave the goalkeeper no chance.
Manvir then added his second three minutes later. Sahal drove forward before cutting the ball back perfectly, allowing the forward to take his time and place his finish into the net.
South United’s best opportunity of the first half came when Makakmayum Daniyal tested Vishal Kaith with a powerful effort, but the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper responded with an excellent save. The Mariners went into the break 4-0 ahead after completely controlling the opening 45 minutes.
South United improved defensively after the interval, but Manvir eventually completed his hat-trick on the hour mark. Thapa’s corner found the forward, who peeled away from his marker before scoring with a diving header.
Mohun Bagan’s sixth goal arrived in the 69th minute when Noel S accidentally turned a dangerous cross from Dražić into his own net.
Suhail Ahmad Bhat then joined the scoring late in the contest. The substitute raced onto a superb pass from Sahal, rounded the goalkeeper and calmly converted in the 90th minute.
The forward was not finished. Deep into stoppage time, Sayan Banerjee and Sahal combined to create another opportunity, with Suhail smashing an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net to complete an extraordinary 8-0 victory.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
