Kolkata: Mohun Bagan Super Giant has snagged another victory, inching closer to clinching the league shield in the Indian Super League (ISL). This 3-0 win, highlighted by Liston Colaco’s goal and a brace from Jamie Maclaren, could be a significant leap towards becoming the first team to defend the shield. With four matches left, Mohun Bagan has secured a spot in the playoffs, boasting a perfect home record with nine wins out of nine.

After 20 games, they sit at 46 points, a solid 12 points ahead of Jamshedpur FC, who still have two matches to play. Punjab FC held their ground until halftime but fell apart in the second half, with Maclaren’s second goal coming after Ashish Pradhan lost possession.

Maclaren opened the scoring, showcasing why he’s the all-time top scorer in the A-league. Dippendu Biswas, reliable in defense, set him up, and Maclaren executed a perfect volley into the bottom corner in the 56th minute. Colaco added another in the 63rd, and Maclaren capped it off in the 90th for his seventh goal this season. “We lost focus in the second half,” admitted Punjab FC coach Panagiotis Dilmperis.

Vishal Kaith received a special shirt for achieving 50 clean sheets, and by the end of the night, he had increased that to 52. He now holds the record for the most clean sheets in ISL11 with 12.

Midway through this midweek match, a misplaced pass highlighted Mohun Bagan’s frustration. It was just what Punjab FC coach Dilmperis hoped for at Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.

“We’ll try something different,” the Greek coach mentioned during the pre-match press conference, referring to the threat Mohun Bagan posed from set pieces. Punjab FC only allowed two corner kicks and committed fouls too far from the goal to be dangerous. Dilmperis opted for a five-man defense, effectively stifling Mohun Bagan’s attacking options.

However, this strategy left Punjab FC vulnerable during transitions. Pulga Vidal’s first notable action was a foul on Ashish Rai in the 20th minute. In the first half, Mohun Bagan managed just two shots on target, both from Stewart and Colaco, but they were saved by goalkeeper Ravi Kumar.

Punjab FC always seemed to be walking a tightrope. Sure, Mohun Bagan's efforts to slip the ball past their defense fell flat, and a bizarre injury to Sahal Abdul Samad threw them off their game. But, as has been the case this season, Mohun Bagan had too much depth to be fazed. Abhishek Suryavanshi stepped in for Sahal, and with Stewart orchestrating things in midfield, they managed to bounce back. It was Suryavanshi who kept the play alive, leading to the second goal.

Biswas’s knack for switching between center-back and right-back gave Jose Molina the chance to bring on Ashique Kuruniyan as a left-back. Biswas made some fantastic tackles early in the second half, just as Petros Giakoumakis hit the post. When Punjab FC found themselves down 0-2, Biswas blocked a shot from Abhishek Singh, and the crowd erupted with “Dippendu, Dippendu.”

If Giakoumakis had scored, it would have really tested Mohun Bagan’s resolve. Instead, the goals came from their end.

From the start, Stewart was finding space all over the pitch. A clever reverse pass to Manvir Singh, who then set up Ashish Rai, showed just how impactful the Scot was going to be. Stewart pressured Punjab FC into a mistake, taking a shot that Kumar had to tip over. In the 18th minute, Stewart connected with Maclaren, whose flick to Colaco forced Kumar to rush out and clear. Stewart had 18 touches in the final third, evenly split between the two halves, and his passing accuracy improved from 72% before halftime to 76% by the end.

Facing a team like this, Mohun Bagan knew they had to be patient—very patient. But Maclaren and Stewart also initiated the press, making it tough for Punjab to escape. Jason Cummings added to that pressure as a late substitute. Mohun Bagan anticipated Punjab would eventually crack, and once again, they were spot on.

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