Durand Cup: Mohun Bagan beat NE United on penalties

SHILLONG, AUG 20: Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith was the hero once again, making two vital penalty shootout saves to guide Mohun Bagan Super Giant into the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup final.
After a 0-0 deadlock in regulation time at Meghalaya’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday, the Mariners triumphed 4-3 in the shootout against NorthEast United.
NorthEast United Head Coach Juan Pedro Benali made two changes, bringing in defenders Soraisham Dinesh Singh and Pramveer Singh to the starting lineup in place of Asheer Akhtar and Macarton Louis Nickson. Mariners head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis also made two changes to his Mohun Bagan starting XI, bringing in Samir Zeljkovic in midfield in place of Anirudh Thapa, and Kiyan Nassiri in attack in place of Dejan Drazic.
A slippery ground hampered both sides early on, preventing either the Highlanders or the Mariners from controlling the midfield or stringing together consistent passes in the opening 20 minutes.
As a result, both teams frequently opted for long balls over the defensive line in an attempt to create attacking opportunities.
The first shot on target came midway through the first half when Liston Colaco’s free-kick forced an excellent save from NorthEast United goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh. Moments later, Kiyan Nassiri opted to shoot from a tight angle rather than pick out his teammates inside the box, but his effort found the side-netting.
At the half-hour mark, Alaaeddine Ajaraie saw his volley narrowly miss the post after bringing down a high ball from a set-piece.
With the wet conditions making it difficult for either side to play their preferred style, set-pieces became an important source of attacking opportunities, with the teams earning three corners each during this period. Sahal Abdul Samad won possession in the centre of the pitch just before half-time and, with NorthEast United goalkeeper Gurmeet Singh backpedalling, attempted an audacious effort from distance.
However, Gurmeet recovered in time to get to the ball and deny an effort that looked destined for the target as both sides went into the half scoreless with the first providing minimal chances for each of them.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the opening period, with both sides continuing to struggle to create clear-cut opportunities.
In the end, both teams were content to try their luck in the penalty shootout as the match ended 0-0 at the end of regulation time.