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Mohammedan SC booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Durand Cup by smashing CRPF football team 5-1 in a Group A game at the Municipal Stadium in Kalyani on Friday.
Azharuddin Mallick and Marcus Joseph scored twice before Brandon Vanlalremdika scored the fifth goal for Mohammedan SC. Amarjeet Singh was the sole goal-scorer for the paramilitary side.
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Mohammedan take a slender 1-0 lead in the first half of the Durand Cup
Mohammedan SC opened the scoring in the 13th minute when a low cross from the left by Arijeet Singh made its way to Azhuaruddin Mallick. He flicked it off on with his heels to find the back of the net as Ranjan Das was caught ball watching.
The Black Panthers posed sustained pressure on the paramilitary side and Marcus Joseph had several opportunities to extend Mohammedan's lead in the first-half. The Trinidad and Tobago striker looked rusty as he fired shots wide of the goal on three occasions within three minutes.
CRPF were forced to defend deep in the opening forty-five minutes and were trailing 1-0 at half-time.
Mohammedan scored four goals in the second half of the Durand Cup
The second half started on a slower note as both CRPF and Mohammedan SC failed to make much of an impact in the first twenty minutes. However, the Black Panthers started to show why they are the better side as they made it 2-0 in the 64th minute. Marcus Joseph made a quick turn with the ball with sheer trickery and slotted it home past Ranjan Das at the CRPF goal.
The game soon turned the game on its head as Joseph scored Mohammedan's third and his second goal of the day just three minutes later. Azharuddin Mallick found Marcus Joseph with a low cross and the striker pounced on to the ball. He dispatched it into the net with a proper striker's finish.
Azhraruddin Mallick joined Marcus Joseph with his second goal of the day. Nikola Stojanovice broke the defensive lines of CRPF with a sublime through ball to set up Mallick through on goal. Mallick took his time and slotted the ball home to make it 4-0 in the 87th minute.
CRPF pulled one goal back as the ball sneaked into the back of the Mohammedan net after Amarjeet Singh's last touch in the 90th minute. The Black Panthers made it 5-1 in additional time. They broke on the counter and substitute Brandon Vanlalremdika scored the fifth goal.
Mohammedan joins Bengaluru United in Group A in qualifying for the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup with one more round of group stage games to go. The Black Panthers will now face Bengaluru United to decide the group winner. CRPF will host the Indian Air Force in the Durand Cup in the other match of the group stage.
