Mohun Bagan Super Giant managed to snag a win against Kerala Blasters, widening their lead over Bengaluru FC, which might be tough for them to overcome. They now hold a two-point lead (26-24) and have a game in hand. If they secure a win against FC Goa on December 20, the Indian Super League (ISL) title race could become a bit of a formality.

Coach Jose Molina mentioned that this was the worst performance from Mohun Bagan this season. Vishal Kaith had a rough night, making mistakes that allowed Kerala Blasters to equalize at 1-1 and then take the lead at 2-1. Mohun Bagan started off poorly and struggled for most of the second half, yet somehow they pulled off a 3-2 victory. “It’s hard to believe we’re leaving without any points,” said Kerala Blasters coach Mikael Stahre.

Jamie Maclaren got the home team on the scoreboard in the 33rd minute, but Jesus Jimenez equalized in the 51st with his ninth goal of the season. Then, central defender Milos Drinic put Kerala ahead 2-1 in the 77th minute. However, showcasing their squad depth, Mohun Bagan responded with goals from Jason Cummings in the 86th minute and Alberto Rodriguez in stoppage time (90+5). They’ve now won seven out of their last eight matches.

After the impressive performance from Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco against NorthEast United, it was anticipated that Kerala Blasters would focus on containing Mohun Bagan’s wide players. They did this effectively with solid man marking from Muhammed Saheef and Sandeep Singh, which forced Mohun Bagan to play through the middle. Just before they got bogged down, Kaith had to step up.

In the second minute, Lalengmawia Ralte lost possession, kicking off a pattern for the home team in the first quarter. Noah Sadoui took a long-range shot that deflected, forcing Kaith to leap and make a save. Just two minutes later, Sadoui set up Jiminez, who attempted a back-heel shot similar to one he scored against Bengaluru FC. Kaith was quick to react and managed to gather it.

With five defenders in place and Freddy Lallawmawma and Danish Farooq adding extra support, the game didn’t unfold the way Mohun Bagan had hoped. They were fortunate that referee Venkatesh R didn’t penalize Tom Aldred for having his hand in an awkward position while trying to head Sandeep Singh’s cross, which was coming down towards him.

The first half-hour was dominated by Kerala Blasters, but true to their season's form, they let in a soft goal. Ashish Rai took a long shot that Kerala Blasters’ young keeper Sachin Suresh inexplicably pushed away instead of catching it. Maclaren was quick to capitalize on the mistake.

Pritam Kotal has to take some heat too because he wasn't as alert as Maclaren. This marked the 13th straight away game where the Blasters let in a goal. Mohun Bagan, not at their best, still managed to lead at halftime. Maclaren only had four touches in the first half, with just one in the box, but that was enough to make an impact.

Kudos to Kerala Blasters for stepping up and putting pressure on Mohun Bagan in the second half. This effort led to the equalizer, although Kaith's choice to play out from the back through Subhasish Bose raised some eyebrows. Jimenez capitalized on that mistake without hesitation. Earlier in the half, he missed a chance to score when he couldn't keep his shot on target with just Kaith in front of him.

Sadoui tested Mohun Bagan a couple of times, but even Kerala Blasters probably didn't expect to take the lead the way they did. After a free-kick from Adrian Luna was mishandled by Kaith, Drinic was there to finish it off. For the first time since November 10, Mohun Bagan found themselves on the back foot.

Molina switched to a back three and brought on Ashique Kuruniyan. After a slow start, Mohun Bagan went all out to grab a point. Kuruniyan had performed well as a left-back against NorthEast, but on Saturday at Salt Lake Stadium, he stepped it up even more. Kerala Blasters failed to clear his cut-back, allowing Petratos to sneak in, but his shot took a tiny deflection off Cummings. A draw wasn’t what Mohun Bagan was aiming for. They kept fighting, as Molina said. Rodriguez’s powerful shot took a deflection off Drinic, sealing the win. With Mohun Bagan, it’s never really over until the final whistle.

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