ISL: Maclaren, Petratos goals show gulf between Bagan and East Bengal

Kolkata: There were six minutes of stoppage time when some East Bengal fans were seen rolling up a huge banner. They knew. On the touchline, Oscar Bruzon, possibly still battling jet lag, stood hands close to his chest. He knew. East Bengal were as far from making a match of their home fixture against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Indian Super League (ISL) as you would expect for a team at the bottom of the standings against one who are now second.

Nine times the arch-rivals have met in the ISL. Including Saturday’s 2-0 win, through goals late in each half from Jamie Maclaren and Dimitrios Petratos, Mohun Bagan have won eight. East Bengal have only a draw from 2023-24 to show for. There is no other way to say this: Mohun Bagan have taken the contest out of the Kolkata derby. The innovation and industry they showed in their last two matches would have set a marker in the league.

This wasn’t a clash among equals so East Bengal were ready to suffer. Cede possession, stay compact and try to frustrate a side so rich in talent that Jason Cummings came on to kill time and Petratos stayed on the bench for 70 minutes. It didn’t work because East Bengal were always a step behind. In intensity. In aggression, especially in midfield. And in ability.

To Greg Stewart’s range of passes, he had 21 final third passes but the best was the long-range, reverse pass for Petratos that fetched the penalty the Australian converted in the 89th minute, to Manvir Singh’s sorties, one of which fetched Maclaren’s goal in the 41st minute, and Liston Colaco’s enthusiasm, East Bengal had no answer.

David Lalhlansanga, prolific in the Kolkata league in 2023, had a baptism of fire in his first Kolkata derby and he wasn’t the only East Bengal player looking out of his depth. They had one shot on target. But for Prabhsukhan Gill, Mohun Bagan could have won by many more. East Bengal’s roster is their best in ISL but it is thin on confidence after five successive losses.