Mohammedan Sporting enter sixth Durand Cup final beating FC Bengaluru United in a hard-fought semi-final

Goals
from
Marcus
Joseph,
Faisal
Ali,
Brandon
Vanlalremdika
and
Nikola
Stojanovic
made
sure
the
Black
Panthers
quest
for
a
third
Durand
title
remained
on
course,
despite
a
shock
start
to
the
game
which
saw
FCBU
talisman
Pedro
Manzi
give
his
side
the
lead
as
early
as
22
seconds
into
the
game.

The
scoreline,
in
the
end,
was
a
bit
flattering
for
MDSP
with
United
ending
the
game
with
10-men
and
after
tying
2-2
in
regulation
time.
Sporting
scored
in
each
half
of
extra
time
to
get
the
result,
the
close
to
25000
local
fans
gathered
at
the
stadium
wanted.

MDSP
gaffer
Andrey
Chernyshov
went
in
with
his
trusted
eleven
and
4-4-2
formation
in
front
of
vociferous
local
support
from
the
stands.
Richard
Hood
the
FCBU
coach,
started
with
a
similar
formation
but
with
a
first
start
of
the
tournament
to
Anup
Theres
Raj
at
left-back.
Sanju
Pradhan
also
started
on
the
bench.

It
could
not
have
begun
better
for
United
with
a
move
down
the
right
flank
involving
Yumnam
Gopi
Singh
straight
after
kick-off
finding
Manzi
in
space
on
top
of
the
box.
He
was
given
a
second
bite
of
the
cherry
by
the
Sporting
defence
and
made
no
mistake
with
a
booming
drive
giving
keeper
Zothanmawia
no
chance.

The
Panthers
were
stung
and
responded
with
ferocity.
Milan
Singh
had
the
first
good
shot
at
goal
but
it
was
the
inimitable
Trinidadian
Marcus
who
was
destined
to
equalize
for
Sporting.

It
was
another
one
from
the
left
of
the
box
cutting
across
the
keeper
with
his
left
foot.
A
trademark
now
almost.
It
was
his
fifth
in
this
edition’s
Durand
putting
him
in
running
for
the
golden
boot
of
the
tournament
for
the
second
year
running.

The
Mohammedan
attack
line
led
by
Serbian
Nikola
Stojanovic
and
ably
supported
by
the
likes
of
Azharuddin
Mallik,
Sk.
Faiaz,
Faisal
and
Marcus
were
displaying
some
slick
football
and
stitched
together
quite
a
few
attractive
moves.

From
one
such
move,
Marcus
found
Faisal
in
the
clear
inside
the
box
on
the
left
and
the
youngster
came
up
with
a
clinical
finish,
beating
Kunzang
Bhutia
for
the
second
time
in
the
game.

The
second-half
began
as
the
first
had
ended
with
MDSP
looking
to
take
most
of
the
initiatives.
Quite
against
the
run
of
play
then,
Kingshuk
Debnath,
a
local
boy,
got
Bengaluru
back
in
the
game,
slotting
home
from
a
melee
off
a
corner.

However
with
minute
into
added
time,
Manzi
was
shown
red
after
a
second
bookable
offence
forcing
Hood
into
bring
in
team
fitness
coach
cum
player
Chelston
Pinto
to
help
his
team
fight
through
30
minutes
of
extra
time.

The
change
which
made
all
the
difference
though
was
the
one
made
by
Chernyshov
in
the
83rd
minute
when
he
had
brought
on
the
pacy
Brandon
Vanlalremdika
to
replace
Sk.
Faiaz
on
the
right.

The
diminutive
winger
peppered
the
10-man
United
defence
in
the
second
half
with
Stojanovic
providing
him
ample
support
and
supply.

In
one
such
move
in
the
dying
stages
of
the
first
15
minutes
of
extra-time,
the
Serbian
found
him
in
the
clear
inside
the
box.
The
Mizo
had
quite
a
bit
to
do
with
two
defenders
challenging
him.
He
shrugged
them
off
with
two
deft
body
feints,
first
inside
then
outside
and
unleashed
a
grounder
with
pin-point
accuracy
to
beat
Bhutia.

The
final
goal
of
the
contest
was
fittingly
scored
by
Stojanovic
who
blasted
a
penalty
past
Bhutia
in
the
110th
minute
of
the
game
for
a
resounding
score
line
for
the
local
team.

Marcus
Joseph
was
adjudged
the
Man
of
the
Match.

Source:
Media
Release