Durand Cup 2023: Griffiths, Diaz and Chhangte on target as Mumbai City FC beat Mohammedan Sporting 3-1

Kolkata: Mumbai City FC (MCFC) defeated local favourites Mohammedan Sporting 3-1 in the Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Saturday. Playing their first match of the 132nd Durand Cup, the Islanders were three up in the first 35 minutes of the game, but the Black and White brigade made a game of it after their confidence was boosted by a David Lalhlansanga strike. Rostyn Griffiths, Jorge Peryra Diaz and Lalianzuala Chhangte scored for the winners. This was the first match of Group B which also has Jamshedpur FC and the Indian Navy as part of it. The Islanders got on the board as early as the 12th minute when Australian defender Griffiths rose high on the back post off a corner by talisman Greg Stewart, to head home. The ball hit the underside of the bar before going in. The second goal came just over 10 minutes later from another foreigner, this time their Argentine forward Jorge Peryra Diaz, who tapped in a rebound off keeper Jongte, after Spaniard Alberto Ripoll had shot at the goal. Ripoll then helped put the issue to rest about 10 more minutes later, when he found Bipin Singh’s surging run on the left flank. Bipin’s measured cross across the face of goal found Chhangte at the end of it, who made no mistake. The Black and White brigade then brought the spectators to life with a goal of their own when off a corner taken short, Samad Mallick’s cross saw David rise brilliantly to head in. In the 55th minute, Alexis Gomez missed a sitter when off a Remsanga cut back inside the Mumbai box, he found himself in the clear but his right footer was way off target. That was Remsanga’s last contribution as Ganesh Besra replaced him soon after. At the hour mark, MCFC gaffer Des Buckingham brought in two changes. Dutchman Yoell Van Nieff and Vikram Pratap Singh replaced Peryra Diaz and Chhangte, as Mohammedan were beginning to get more positive in the game. Bipin then had a shot hit the bar in the 65th as MCFC pressed hard to put the game beyond the local side. Mohammedan were also getting their chances and in the 79th, substitutes Besra and Tanmoy Ghosh combined with the latter’s flying header just off the target. That was perhaps the last real chance secured by either side as Mumbai City did well to pick up full points. In the other match of the day, William Pauliankhum’s early second half strike handed Rajasthan United FC (RUFC) a 1-0 win over Bodoland FC in a Group F fixture.