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Mohun Bagan Super Giant beat Jamshedpur FC 2-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate to qualify for the 2024-25 Indian Super League final.
Mohun Bagan SG beat Jamshedpur FC on aggregate to go through to the ISL final. (Image: FSDL)
Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated Jamshedpur FC 2-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate to book their place in the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday.
The Red Miners had a 2-1 advantage from the first leg at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. Jason Cummings and Apiua scored on the night to see the Mariners through to the summit clash.
Blood had been drawn in the reverse fixture, and the home fans did not disappoint, turning up in numbers to lend their voice in the chorus for a fight.
And a fight it was from the first minute itself.
Ashique Kuruniyan looked lively on the left wing, he sent in a dangerous-looking cross but there was no one attacking the goal. He then found Anirudh Thapa, but the latter’s shot was somehow turned away.
Jamshedpur were more than happy to sit back and defend, only venturing forward with counters. Jordan Murray and Javi Hernandez tried their luck but did not bother Vishal Kaith in the Mohun Bagan goal.
Subhasish Bose too tried his luck from afar, but his effort sailed harmlessly over. In the 16th minute, Jason Cummings had a golden chance after receiving the ball inside the penalty box but failed to keep his shot on target. Cummings tried his luck again the next minute, but his strike whizzed past the right post.
Right back Asish Rai too came close to scoring as his snapshot flew just over the crossbar.
But the best chance of the half fell to Alberto Rodriguez, who had minute earlier seen his shot sail over, had Sourav Das clear his shot on the goal line in the 19th minute.
Subhasish Bose, Apuia tried their luck, but the goal did not come.
It was all Mohun Bagan as they piled bodies forward in search of the opener, so much so they managed 100 touches inside the opposition half before the 35-minute mark.
In the 37th minute, Cummings tried to curl his shot around the keeper, past the defence and into the far post, but Albino Gomes madea stunning save low down to his right to deny Mariners the lead.
The goal just did not come as eleven Jamshedpur players stood resolutely in defence, putting their bodies on the line for a goalless draw. Their job was half done, taking the score 0-0 at the break.
With the start of the second half, Javi almost stunned the crowd into silence with his long-range shot coming close to scoring only for the ball to bounce on the wrong side of the post.
The Green and Maroon faithful turned up the decibels in response. The players too upped their game.
Ashique was a menace on the left flank, turning his marker in and out as he sent in dangerous crosses but Jamshedpur held on.
In the 50th minute, Lazar Cirkovic did well to concede a corner, which Cummings went up to take. He whipped in a dangerous ball as Pranoy Halder just could not get his hand out of the way. The referee spotted the infraction and was quick to point to the spot. Penalty. Cummings stepped and sent Albino the wrong way to hand Mohun Bagan the lead in the game and made it 2-2 on aggregate. The fact that it was the first penalty that Jamshedpur conceded made the goal even more special.
The fireworks went off in the stands, and the decibel levels further increased as Jose Molina high-fived his associates on the touchline.
Khalid Jamil opted to change things up, making three substitutions with goals needed on the night to ease their passage to the finale. Javi Siverio, Sreekuttan VS and Ritwik Das replaced Rei Tachikawa, Seiminlen Doungel and Mohammed Sanan.
Jamie Maclaren had a chance to get Mohun Bagan’s second on the night as his headed effort, meeting a rocket cross from Liston, was saved from inside the six-yard box.
Jamshedpur’s response, Pratik Chaudhari in for Nikhil Barla. But Mohun Bagan did not relent as Manvir Singh came on Ashique, who had fallen down in a heap after a challenge on the left wing.
Manvir looked lively on the right as Liston switched over to the left. Mohun Bagan tried to get, but Molina opted to bring on Dimitri Petratos for Cummings.
The Aussie star tried his best, pulling the strings from behind Maclaren, and yet Jamshedpur held on.
The 90 minutes came and went, and the assistant referee pulled up the board showing five minutes of injury time. The Mariners held their breath as Mohun Bagan kept attacking.
In the third minute of added time, Liston sent in a cross from the left as Pranoy blocked and tried to run out with the ball. He lost possession to Thapa, who calmly passed it on for Apia, who took a touch and blasted the ball into the right corner to send the 58,123-strong crowd at the Salt Lake into delirium.
The Green and Maroon bench ran out onto the pitch as the Mariners in the stands rained down applause and crackers. Mohun Bagan booked their place in the ISL final for the third year in a row.
