ON THE VERY SECOND DAY of the season, the first big giant killing of the 119th Calcutta Football League took place when a young Pathachakra side bested Mohammedan Sporting 4-2.
The Pathachakra team, which last season earned a promotion to the CFL Premier Division A, is an academy squad with much pedigree; they have produced multiple top division players and even left a mark in Durand Cup when their boys played under the United SC banner.
Taking on the 2nd Division side Mohammedan Sporting at Kalyani in front of 5,000-odd opponent fans, Pathachakra started well. They took few risks, kept their shape and after a few tries got their break through 35 minutes in when former Aizawl FC player Joel Sunday scored for them.
Near the hour mark, Babun Das of Pathachakra delivered a slick corner that Manotosh Chakladar headed right in. Suddenly, the favourites Mohammedan were 2-0 down.
Under pressure, the Black and Whites retaliated. Dipanda Dicka, fresh from Aizawl FC, delivered a good strike 64 minutes in. And almost as soon as the match resumed he scored again. It was 2-2 and Mohammedan were back in the game. But their defence could not keep it that way.
Within minutes, Babun Das suddenly got a lot of space in the final third and scored. And about 15 minutes later he did the same thing again. Pathachakra took the game 4-2 and Babun Biswas, with 2 goals and one assist, established himself as a possible future star in the Indian football circuit.
And Pathachakra, who have earned a reputation as giant killers in the past few years, added another feather in their cap.