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Bagan exacts revenge

By Our Sports Reporter

KOLKATA APRIL 14. Defending champion Mohun Bagan came back to winning ways, defeating local challenger DTDC Tollygunge Agragami 2-0, in a 20th round encounter of the Oil PSU VII National Football League at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Monday.

The result was only of academic interest as both teams were already out of the title race. Bagan was plagued by a string of poor performances and the star-studded team even lost to modest opponents this season.

But today's win, after two consecutive losses, took the defending champion to 32 points and into fifth place. There was no change in Agragami's position (ninth with 22 points) among the 12 teams in the two-tier competition. With the two Bangalore teams — Indian Telephone Industries and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited — confirming their relegation, Agragami remained safe (above Indian Bank) and ensured its stay in the premier club contest of the country for the fifth consecutive year.

Today, Bagan was keen to avenge the 0-1 loss to Agragami in the first phase. And the defending champion's two early goals effectively sealed the contest. Jose Rameirez Barreto — Bagan's Brazilian messiah who has scored well over 100 goals for the team in three seasons here — got his 10th goal of the season with a perfect pile-driver in the sixth minute.

Barreto's diminutive colleague upfront, Sunil Chetri, then displayed his dribbling and ball control skills while scoring the insurance goal in the 22nd minute.

The rest of the match was full of wasted chances as mostly Bagan, and Agragami occasionally, tried to score. Bagan's most illustrious buy of the season — Bhaichung Bhutia — squandered a host of scoring opportunities. He has scored only four goals in the 20 rounds so far.

For Agragami, Ashim Biswas couldn't cash in on two late opportunities while midfielder Moses Owira had his 14th minute free-kick going off the crosspiece.

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