CFL 2023 HIGHLIGHTS: Mohun Bagan's 5 goal rampage in their own stadium delights fans

MOHUN BAGAN MADE a triumphant return to their own stadium today after 4 long years.

Playing Dalhousie AC in the Calcutta Football League (Premier Division), they registered an emphatic 5-2 victory in front of a sold out crowd.

The Mariners, who are fielding a developmental team in the CFL, came in riding a two match win streak in the campaign. But Dalhousie were expected to be a tougher opponent, since they were also coming in undefeated in the previous games.

However, Bagan put on their best offensive performance of the season yet, spurred on by their fans who put up tifos, banners, visual displays and chanted throughout the game.

The first breakthrough came when Suhail Ahmad Bhat, got on top of a through ball on the edge of the box with an expert first touch and blasted it past the Dalhousie keeper with the second touch. He scored his second goal in the 43rd minute, knocking a cross from the right wing into the net with his very first touch. The former Indian Arrows forward was brought down inside the box early in the second half, and he completed his hat-trick from the resulting penalty.

Not long after, the Dalhousie keeper spilled the ball trying to grab hold of a shot from the left flank and Fardin Ali Molla slotted it into the net. Young Fardin would also go on to score his second goal late in the game, while Dalhousie's Siba Hari and Abhas Kundu would also score, mostly due to major errors made by the Mohun Bagan defence.

With 9 points from 3 matches, Mohun Bagan are at the top of the Group A points table. But the club management wouldn't just be happy with their youth team's performance; they would also be encouraged by the sold out crowd they drew to the stadium without any marketing or the presence of any star players in the team, purely on the popular appeal of Mohun Bagan.

Get the latest in the world of Sports, Teams, and Players! Free Delivery to your Inbox.