Kolkata, March 7 Goals from Ryan Williams and Ashique Kuruniyan in the first half gave Bengaluru FC a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mohammedan Sporting Club in their Indian Super League (ISL) match here on Saturday.
Mahitosh Roy reduced the deficit for the home side in the second half.
The win moved The Blues up to fifth in the league standings with seven points, while Mohammedan were left searching for their first points after their fourth consecutive defeat.
The two teams went into the match after defeats in their previous encounters, and both Indian head coaches, Renedy Singh of Bengaluru and Mehrajuddin Wadoo of Mohammedan Sporting, made three changes each to their respective lineups.
Mohammedan started with Lalmuanawma in place of Hira Mondal at right back, Tangva Ragui back in midfield in place of Lalngaihsaka, and Israfil Dewan alongside Adison upfront in place of Lalremsanga Fanai.
Renedy started with the experienced Rahul Bheke at the back, handed Uzbek Siroj Kuziev a debut in midfield, and paired talisman Sunil Chhetri in attack with Ryan Williams in place of Bungson, Suresh, and Sivasakthi, who were on the bench.
Bengaluru dominated after the kick-off, and a series of attacks saw Chhetri miss the target three times in the first 10 minutes.
Ryan Williams was also putting in a lot of effort, particularly from the right, but ironically, he found the back of the net from the left.
Soon after being denied by the Mohammedan defence, Williams tapped in from close, off the resulting corner taken by Kuziev, which was headed towards goal by Chhetri and took a fortuitous deflection off Nikhil Poojary onto his path.
The second goal came after an attack from the right by Poojary.
The cross was cleared away by Mohammedan keeper Padam Chettri, but the loose ball was directed towards Ashique by Fanai, whose powerful left-footed shot from the top of the box went in after hitting the keeper's gloves.
Down 0-2 at the break, Wadoo made a double substitution, bringing in the experienced Hira Mondal in place of Sajad Parray at left back and bringing in Lalngaihsaka in place of Ragui.
They got immediate results as Adison floated in a cross from the right, which was initially headed out by Bheke, but only as far as Mahitosh Roy, who was waiting for the second ball.
The attacking midfielder’s well-placed right-footed shot beat Gurpreet on the dive and went in.
The hosts did find the back of the net in the final minute of added time, when Fardeen poked in from a melee close to the goalmouth, but the referee had already blown for infringement, sealing a much-needed win for the visitors.
In another match of the day in Kochi, Imran Khan's 42nd-minute strike ensured that Chennaiyin FC inflicted their fourth consecutive defeat of the season on Kerala Blasters.
Chennaiyin FC secured their first win of the season and provisionally moved into eighth place in the league standings with four points from as many matches, while Kerala Blasters, still searching for their first point, remain in 12th place.
Chennaiyin goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz was adjudged Player of the Match.
