KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Rainbow Athletic Club 2-1 on Thursday to finish their campaign in the 2017/18 Calcutta Football League.

League’s top scorer Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka put Mohammedan SC ahead in the 16th minute only for Yao Kouassi Bernard to restore parity for Rainbow AC in the 58th minute. However, substitute Satyam Sharma’s long range effort from 30-yards settled the issue for the Black Panthers in the 80th minute at Barasat Stadium.

Going into the game, Mohammedan SC coach Biswajit Bhattacharya made the only change to the side by handing start to Pranit Lama Tamang at the expense of Kamran Farooque.

Mohammedan SC dominated first half ball possession, but did not do much to threaten the opposition goal, while Rainbow AC, who were pressed back for the majority of the half, did well to absorb the pressure and looked dangerous on the few times they attacked.

The first half was characterized by a lack of goal scoring opportunities from both sides. In the infant stages of the game, Mohammedan SC had shown promise with some impressive passes, but when they resorted to long balls, Rainbow AC dealt with them with confidence.

However, the Black Panthers were rewarded for their persistent efforts as Dipanda ran on to a pass from Dipendu Dowary and rifled a right-foot shot past goalkeeper Ankur Das in the 16th minute.

The goal spurred the Black Panthers forward who increased their pressure upfront with Dipanda and Jiten Murmu linked up well keeping the Rainbow AC back-line on their toes, but were guilty of non-conversion as the first half ended 1-0.

The second half started with Rainbow AC having greater possession and looked more threatening going forward, thanks to crisp passing, good off-the-ball movement and dazzling individual skills.

Having missed some half chances, Rainbow AC cancelled out Mohammedan SC’s lead in the 58th minute when Bernard rifled in an unstoppable volley to level matters.

Nonetheless, Mohammedan SC responded almost immediately when a collision in side the box between Jiten and Rainbow AC defender Sujit Sadhu led to the penalty in 61st minute. Jiten took the spot-kick himself and Ankur saved a poor effort low to his right.

Thereafter, Mohammedan SC backed by their fans pushed more men forward in a bid to regain the lead. Their efforts paid off as Satyam, who came in for Tirthankar Sarkar, picked the ball from Kalu Ogba, raced forward before unleashing a hefty drive from 30-yards to add his name to the scorers list in the 80th minute.

In the final minutes, both sides engaged in some end-to-end stuff before Mohammedan SC sealed a well-deserved 2-1 win.

The result meant Mohammedan SC finish their campaign third in the league table with 17 points from 9 games and the position will be secured should Peerless Sports Club, who are on 12 points from 7 outings, drop points in any of their remaining two matches.

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will be firing with all cylinders to cap the 2017/18 Calcutta Football League campaign on the highest note when they take on Rainbow Athletic Club on Thursday.

A blend of youthful exuberance and attacking football finds the Biswajit Bhattacharya-coached side in a comfortable third position in the league table with 14 points from 8 matches. While their opponents Rainbow AC, who made their debut in the top flight of Kolkata football this season, are on fifth with 8 points from 7 matches.

The Black Panthers head into this match after playing a stalemate against the defending champions East Bengal last weekend and would not settle for anything less than a victory at Barasat Stadium.

“The journey so far has been a magnificent one. Boys showed tremendous heart in every game and I am proud of the team that we have reached this far. If you take a look at the stats, we have been fairly consistent with our performances. However, a couple of bad days at office ruined your chances of winning the title.” Coach Bhattacharya said reflecting back upon the team’s performance in the league.

“Rainbow AC have caused a lot of teams a lot of problems throughout the campaign, But as I have said in the past, here in Mohammedan SC my aim is to win every game, so even in the last game my team will be going all out for full three points. Tomorrow’s match is a crucial one as a win will give us a better chance to finish at Top 3,” Coach Bhattacharya added.

On the team news front, Coach Bhattacharya has all the key players at disposal and will line up the strongest squad.

“The team will like to sincerely thank the Club Faithfuls whose undying support throughout the competition has been excellent.” The Gaffer concluded.

The match against Rainbow AC marks the last match for the likes of Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka, Manvir Singh, Rana Gharami, Shekh Faiaz, Sankar Roy and Dipendu Dowary, all of whom are set to leave the the Club after CFL for various ISL and I-League Clubs.

The match at Barasat Stadium kicks-off at 5:00 PM on Thursday and will be televised on Kolkata TV.

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club were held to a 2-2 draw by East Bengal in their Calcutta Football League encounter on Saturday.

East Bengal took a early lead through Mahmoud Al Amna (2nd minute) only for Jiten Murmu (20th) to equalize for Mohammedan SC before Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka (67th) put the Black Panthers ahead, however Willis Plaza’s (87th) late goal save the blushes for East Bengal at Kalyani Stadium.

The result meant Mohammedan SC remain on third position in the league table with 14 points while East Bengal moved to the summit with 19 points.

Going into the game, Coach Biswajit Bhattacharya made four changes to the side from the previous match by handing starts to Jiten Murmu, Tirthankar Sarkar, Dipendu Dowary and Rana Gharami at the expenses of Manandeep Singh, Satyam Sharma, Prohlad Roy and Harjinder Singh.

East Bengal started the first half on the front foot and unsettled the Mohammedan SC defense in the 2nd minute itself when Al Amna slotted home after Arnab Mondal set up the Syrian from Mohammed Rafique’s free-kick to put East Bengal 1-0 up.

Having conceded early on, Mohammedan SC began attacking with intensity through Dipanda, Kalu Ogba and Dipendu Dowary. The pressure paid off as Mohammedan SC restored the parity at the 20th minute mark. Kalu made a run down the left and squared to Jiten inside the box who then rifled a fierce shot past East Bengal keeper Luis Barreto.

Thereafter, both sides had a few chances in the later stage of the half but couldn’t convert as the scoreline remained one-goal-a-piece going into the breather.

Mohammedan SC came out strong in the second half and began attacking from the word go. However, the East Bengal defense managed to hold on and clear all the attacks in the opening quarter.

Nonetheless, Mohammedan SC’s constant pressure finally paid off as they took the lead midway through the second half. Jiten with a good solo run went past a couple of defenders on the right before cutting back for Dipanda, on the edge of the box. The Cameroonian striker kept his calm to get a first time shot which the rival keeper failed to handle and the ball ended up in the net.

The Black Panthers almost got their third goal in the 73rd minute when Shekh Faiaz and Dipanda combined on the left flank. A quick one-two sent Faiaz clear and the lanky winger cut past two defenders only for his powerful drive to go inches over the horizontal.

Afterwards, both sides engaged in some end-to-end stuff. While Mohammedan SC had the better chances to go further up, East Bengal capitalized on a defensive error as Plaza scored three minutes from the time to pull East Bengal level.

Mohammedan SC battled hard in the final minutes looking for a winner, but East Bengal managed to hold on defending deep as the game ended 2-2.

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club look to dent a blow in East Bengal’s ambitions to secure eighth consecutive Calcutta Football League title when they lock horns on Saturday.

It was like a replay of the CFL match last season when Mohammedan SC and East Bengal battled it out for top honors in Kolkata football. However, the only difference this time around is that Mohammedan SC have fallen far behind in the championship race and pride will be the only thing at stake in Kalyani Stadium.

Nonetheless, Mohammedan SC Coach Biswajit Bhattacharya insists that his players will approach the match with the same intensity and hopes of resurrecting their campaign.

“We have to play with the same intensity. We are professionals. When we go on the pitch, we must respect the jersey, the fans and the honor of club. Our fate may have been sealed but we have to go out and do our best to win because that’s what we deserve,” Coach Bhattacharya said on the eve of the clash.

Currently on third position with 13 points from 7 matches, the Black Panthers coming into the tie with an emphatic 6-0 win over Railway FC in their last match and will be full of confidence at the prospect of upsetting East Bengal, who are on second with 18 points.

“It will be an enticing affair and the team which can handle the pressure better will be able to prevail. East Bengal are a very good side and they have shown how easily they can dominate teams. But we have shown that we are a team not to be taken lightly. We will go hard at them enforcing our own style of attacking flare,”  the gaffer added.

The match pits the league’s best attack against it’s best defense. Mohammedan SC have scored 23 goals this campaign while East Bengal have allowed only three.

However, their leaky defense will continue to be the main cause for worry for Coach Bhattacharya, who knows they will need to defend better against East Bengal if they are to contain the threat of Mahmoud Al Amna and Willis Plaza.

On the team news front, Coach Bhattacharya will have a full squad at his disposal with skipper Rana Gharami returning from a one-match suspension that caused him to miss the clash against Railway FC.

For the record, Mohammedan SC last defeated East Bengal in CFL on 10 August, 2014, since then East Bengal haven’t lost a single match in CFL and unbeaten in 34 straight matches, a streak that the Black Panthers will be eager to end.

The match at Kalyani Stadium kicks-off at 2:45 PM on Saturday and will be televised on Kolkata TV.

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club hammered Railway FC 6-0 in the Calcutta Football League on Wednesday Barasat Stadium.

Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka (19th minute, 35th, 47th and 90+2nd) scored four with Manandeep Singh (26th) and Prohlad Roy (60th) also got on the score-sheet as Mohammedan SC register the biggest win this year’s competition.

Going into the game, Mohammedan SC coach Biswajit Bhattacharya made five changes to the side from the previous match against Mohun Bagan, as Harjinder Singh filled the gap for a suspended Rana Gharami while Kamran Farooque, Prohlad Roy, Satyam Sharma and Manandeep came at the expenses of Amit Chakraborty, Dipendu Dowary, Tirthankar Sarkar and Jiten Mumru respectively.

Mohammedan SC began the better of both sides, and after some half chances in the opening exchanges, they took the lead in the 19th minute. Dipanda capitalized on a poor clearance and smashed home a powerful right footer with Railway FC custodian Rana Chakraborty watching helplessly.

The Black Panthers doubled their lead seven minutes later when Diapnda sent Manandeep clear in the rival box. The former Kerala Blasters striker kept his calm and finished over an advanced keeper to make it 2-0.

Diapnda then got on the score-sheet again striking in the final quarter. The Cameroonian tapped home from close in the 35th minute after getting a pass from Shekh Faiaz.

Thereafter, Mohammedan SC continued to push up and create chances but but poor finishing in the final third meant the first half ended 3-0.

Mohammedan SC  virtually finished off the game two minutes after restart. Ankit Mukherjee curled in a great cross which wasn’t properly cleared and fell for Dipanda inside the box. The striker controlled the ball and smashed home the half volley to complete his second hat-trick of the league.

The scoring spree did not end there as Prohlad increased the lead further after striking home from close range in the 60th minute.

Meanwhile, Railway FC had a couple of good opportunities to reduce the margin but the visitors were unlucky and Mohammedan SC well at the back.

Mohammedan SC  didn’t take their foot off the accelerator and continued to dominate proceedings but had to wait till injury time to get their sixth when Dipanda head home to score his 10th goal of the competition.

The win took Mohammedan SC’s tally to 13 points from 7 games and they will face East Bengal next on Saturday at Kalyani.

KOLKATA: In less than 48 hours from the grueling Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan in Kalyani, Mohammedan Sporting Club is set to take the field in Calcutta Football League when they face Railway FC on Wednesday at Barasat.

Mohammedan SC is placed third, with 10 points from 6 matches, behind Mohun Bagan and East Bengal and with the title race looking set to be decided between the top two sides in the table, the Black Panthers will be keen to present a good account of itself in the remaining matches.

The Black Panthers head into the game on the back of a 2-1 defeat against Mohun Bagan and only a strange and highly unlikely set of results would see them finishing among the top teams in the table.

However, Mohammedan SC coach Biswajit Bhattacharya still believes there is plenty to play for and strictly advised his players to concentrate on the task at hand.

“I am happy about my team’s performance. Boys put up a brilliant performance in all the matches. We want to continue the good work in our remaining matches and finish the league on high,” coach Bhattacharya said.

Going into the match, Mohammedan SC will look to the likes of Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dicka, Jiten Murmu and Manvir Singh to inspire them to victory, though all three misfired against Mohun Bagan but coach Bhattacharya insists that the trio will be able to put the disappointment behind and prove themselves again.

Mohammedan SC has no noteworthy injury problems. However, coach Bhattacharya will have to make at least one change to his starting line-up, as skipper Rana Gharami is unavailable due to suspension, following his two yellow cards earlier in the league.

KOLKATA: Mohammedan Sporting Club will be aiming for all three points when they face Southern Samity in the ongoing CFL Premier Division – A at Barasat Stadium on Sunday.

Heading into the game on the back of a convincing 5-1 win over Tollygunge Agragami on Thursday, Mohamedan SC will be looking to overcome the challenge of a hectic schedule as they play their third game in a span of eight days.

The Black Panthers currently at fifth on 3 points from 2 games, and win will take them to third but coach Biswajit Bhattacharya has revealed that right now he is not ready to think about the points table and wants to take one game at a time.

“The league is very competitive and all teams are almost equal. Though we won our last match quite convincingly but I think there is still room for improvement and we need to maintain a certain level of consistency going forward,” coach Bhattacharya said.

Facing Southern Samity, coach Bhattacharya is likely to field the same starting line-up that earned club’s first victory against Tollygunge in over three years.

On the other hand, Southern Samity suffered a 3-0 defeat to Mohun Bagan in their first match but the Hemanto Dora-coached side has showed signs of improvement in a barren draw against Pathachakra Club.

Southern Samity will be banking heavily on their Nigerian striker Abubakar Ali Hassan for goals upfront, while the likes of Dipankar Roy, Lalawmpuia Pachuau, Rakesh Masih, Manish Maithani and Avinabo Bag are other key players in the side.

“Southern Samity is a tricky side who has the potential to beat any side on their given day and we have to be cautious against them, but having said that we are going for all three points tomorrow,” coach Bhattacharya added.

For the record, Mohammedan SC were beaten by Southern Samity twice in the 2016/17 I-League 2nd Division with a 2-0 score-line respectively. Coach Bhattacharya, however, feels the previous results will not have any bearing in their next clash, as the match between the same two sides will be played out between a completely different set of players.

The match at Barasat kicks off at 5.00 pm and it will be televised live on Kolkata TV.