New Delhi: In what was one of the most memorable comebacks, Churchill Brothers downed Mohun Bagan in a top of the table clash and thus made their case stronger of lifting their first I-League title. Two goals from Kalu Nnanna and another from Odafa Okolie were more than enough to give the Goan side a deserved three points after Jose Barreto put Bagan into the lead.
Churchill coach Zoran Djordjevic started with Naoba Singh and Robert Lalthampuana as the two full backs with Khan Thang Paite and Reisangmi Vashum being on the flanks.
Karim Bencherifa made three changes from the last match as Lalwampuia came in for the suspended Bhaichung Bhutia while Lal Kamal Bhowmick and Shylo Malswamtulunga were included for Rakesh Masih and James Singh.
The home side could have shot into an early lead in the fourth minute after Paite found Odafa on the edge of the box whose floater was headed towards the top corner by Felix Chimaokwu only for goalkeeper Sangram Mukherjee to thwart the effort with a one handed clearance. Vashum couldn’t do much with the pieces left.
Chitra Singh cornerkick saw Kalu Nnanna head it wide two minutes later.
Malswamtulunga began to show why he was awarded a starting place in the line-up after he ran past Robert and almost found Lalwampuia inside the box with Naoba Singh clearing the ball.
Ishfaq Ahmed was unlucky to have a decision to go against him after Rowilson Rodrigues went down way too easily inside his own half.
A Peter Odafe throw-in was headed by Ishfaq and Gouramangi Singh thereafter, with goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya coming out to collect before Malswamtulunga could make anything of it.
The goal came in the 28th minute for Mohun Bagan as Jose Barreto chested and slotted the ball into the far corner after Arindam Bhattacharya came out needlessly from a Malswamtulunga lob. The goal had class written all over it.
Around the hour mark, Odafa and Felix combined with the latter being tackled inside the box by Marcos Pereira to avert the danger.
Odafa Okolie took four Bagan shirts and made space for himself to unleash a fierce left footer strike which saw Sangram Mukherjee dive to his left and pull-off a brilliant save.
Ishfaq Ahmed received a return ball for Lalwampuia but Arindam Bhattacharya made a crucial interception before anything came of it.
Felix Chimaokwu found Paite in enough space and time on the left flank but the winger slammed the ball over.
In the 40th minute, Kalu’s long ball was laid by Odafa for Felix whose left footer went way off the mark. Peter Odafe picked up a booking and would miss the next game for a tackle from behind on Odafa Okolie.
Just on the brink of half-time, Churchill got the equaliser from a corner with Odafa Okolie’s header finding the back of the net after Sangram Mukherjee came off his line. Peter Odafe was also the guilty man for failing to mark Odafa but was distracted by Sangram Mukherjee coming out.
Whatever the talk during the break at the Churchill camp was, it truly saw the result on-field. The manner in which the Goan side started the second session, it made Mohun Bagan look second best throughout. The flanks were used more often; some good passing football was on display as against the long ball strategy. They were running into the open spaces which Bagan were guilty of providing and letting the home side win the balls.
Kalu Nnanna looked a man possessed as he fooled Lal Kamal Bhowmick and then Marcos Pereira to take a 30 yarder shot which wasn’t far from finding the back of the net. The next minute saw Felix Chimaokwu try the same from a shorter distance.
At the other end, referee Pradeep Kumar reverse his decision to offer a throw-in to Bagan which saw the Kolkata side fume from the bench.
Kalu Nnanna started a move from the middle and received a return ball on his path from Odafa Okolie and the midfielder shot it past Sangram Mukherjee to give Churchill Brothers the lead.
Coach Karim Bencherifa introduced Lalramruaha for a disappointing Lal Kamal Bhowmick.
At the other end, Khan Thang Paite was brilliantly released by Felix Chimaokwu with a backheel on the left. The winger attempted to cross twice instead of going for the goal and was blocked by N.Manju and then Deepak Mandal.
Kalu Nnanna once again attempted another long ranger from 25 yards which went wide.
Around the hour mark, a Deepak Mandal cross was headed on the path for Barreto by Malswamtulunga but Kalu Nnanna cleared the danger.
Felix Chimaokwu’s cross from the right saw Khan Thang Paite miss another opportunity until Habibur Rahman launched the ball forward.
A limping Jose Barreto made his way out and in came Rakesh Masih in the 68th minute which saw Marcos being put in the striker’s role.
Reisangmi Vashum ran on the right flank and kept troubling the Mohun Bagan backline.
Paite could had another go from an Odafa lob but Habibur cleared in time.
Churchill Brothers put the game out of Mohun Bagan’s reach with the third goal as once again it was the same combination at work. Kalu Nnanna found Odafa who turned and sent a left footer strike which was blocked by Sangram Mukherjee and an onrushing Churchill number nine thumped the ball in.
Arindam Bhattacharya, who had virtually nothing to do, was found sleeping as Ishfaq Ahmed’s cross from the left wasn’t collected and could have almost resulted in an own goal.
Lalwampuia made way for James Singh but it failed to have any changes in the proceedings of the match.
Odafa Okolie turned and shot which was once again blocked by Sangram Mukherjee but Felix couldn’t find the back of the net off the rebound.
Kalu Nnanna was rightly adjudged as the Man of the Match not just for his two goals but his work in the middle of the park. Churchill Brothers have at last broken their jinx against Mohun Bagan and have sent a strong message to Sporting who play tomorrow.
Mohun Bagan needs to forget this performance as against East Bengal and come out stronger. They have some key games ahead and such display won’t take them anywhere.
Goalscorers Churchill: Odafa Okolie (45 + 2 min) and Kalu Nnanna (57th and 77th min)
Goalscorer Bagan: Jose Barreto (28th min)
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