Kolkata: What was meant to be a fun evening turned into quite the showdown. The player known as “Dimi-god” had his moments, and there were some heated exchanges between Ashique Kuruniyan and Boris Singh, as well as Kuruniyan and Iker Guarrotxena. Ultimately, the match between these two high-scoring teams came down to a couple of mistakes from FC Goa.

When Mohun Bagan Super Giant was up 1-0 in the 62nd minute, they hadn’t even managed a shot on target. It wasn’t until the 93rd minute that they finally got one, with Greg Stewart casually rolling the ball in for a 2-0 lead. This Saturday night was full of unexpected twists. The only thing that remained consistent was Mohun Bagan’s unbeaten streak at home this season, racking up 11 wins after starting with a 2-2 draw against Mumbai City FC. There was an eight-point gap between the top two teams, the largest in Indian Super League (ISL) history.

Both Mohun Bagan and FC Goa played like they were the top two teams in the ISL11 standings. Even though the league shield had been in Mohun Bagan’s hands for over a week, Goa came in ready to disrupt their celebration. This was the first match this season where Goa failed to find the back of the net.

One Goa player would probably want to forget a particular moment. Tom Aldred’s long kick found Boris Singh, who, without checking where his goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari was, could only watch in horror as his header rolled into an empty net.

In the 62nd minute, there was a brief moment of confusion that sent the energy in the packed Salt Lake stadium soaring. For nearly two hours before the match kicked off, the phrase "Joy Mohun Bagan" echoed from loudspeakers along the main road leading to the venue. Fans packed into mini-trucks, the usual ride to the stadium, chanted it loudly. Over 60,000 supporters, many decked out in Mohun Bagan jerseys, scarves, and flags, made their way to their seats, some even sporting "Joy Mohun Bagan" emblazoned on their backs, the golden letters shimmering under the bright lights.

When Subhasish Bose made his way to his teammates, proudly holding the league shield presented by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, the stadium erupted. Nobody was ready to leave just yet. The deejay would stop the celebratory tunes, but the crowd would take over, singing their hearts out.

This was the vibe everyone expected for the evening. Football was meant to be a side note, but it quickly became the main event when FC Goa honored Mohun Bagan with a guard of honor. Although both teams had rested some players, the match still had its moments. Kuruniyan and Boris were caught up in a heated exchange on one side of the field. Guarrotxena had a chance but couldn’t get past Dheeraj Singh, who was making his first start thanks to Mohun Bagan's coach, Jose Molina. Udanta Singh managed to slip by Ashish Rai but couldn’t get one past Tom Aldred, who skillfully deflected the shot for a corner.

Mohun Bagan kicked off strong with Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco making their presence felt, but soon enough, FC Goa took control of the game. With Guarrotxena and Borja Herrera swapping positions quickly, they found themselves in the final third more often, but they couldn't really challenge Dheeraj Singh. As has been the case this season, Mohun Bagan capitalized on a careless pass from Boris Singh just before halftime. During a tussle for the ball between Dimitri Petratos and Odei Onaindia, Petratos fell, and the ball rolled right to Manvir Singh. With a clear path, he charged into the box and scored.

FC Goa was quick to protest, claiming that the ball had touched Petratos’s hand as he went down. After chatting with his assistants, referee Rahul Gupta agreed and disallowed the goal. Normally calm, Molina was seen arguing with the fourth official and Guarrotxena as the teams headed to the locker rooms.

The second half mirrored the first in terms of opportunities until Boris accidentally headed the ball into his own net. The crowd erupted with Mexican waves and glowing mobile lights. In stoppage time, FC Goa’s Dejan Drazic shot over the bar. Just when it seemed like the game was winding down, Jason Cummings made his move. The first time he intercepted Udanta Singh, he went for it solo even though Colaco was in a better position. The next time, he seized on a mistake from Sandesh Jhingan and set up Stewart.

“We defended well and took our chances when they came,” Aldred said, perfectly capturing Mohun Bagan’s season, which featured 15 clean sheets.

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