ISL 2022-23: ATK Mohun Bagan's Boumous dedicates goal against East Bengal to fans after Kolkata Derby win

Cheers and jeers reached a crescendo at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata as ATK Mohun Bagan won their fifth successive Kolkata Derby against East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23, beating Kolkata rivals 2-0 on Saturday night.

Juan Ferrando made just one change to the ATK Mohun Bagan side that sunk KBFC in Kochi - Subhasish Bose replaced Ashique Kuruniyan on the left flank as they switched to a 4-3-3. Stephen Constantine fielded the same eleven that had nabbed all three points against NEUFC in Guwahati.

ATK Mohun Bagan looked menacing in the opening ten minutes of this high-octane full-contact contest. Bose came close as his shot flashed across the goal and out of play. East Bengal almost got their noses in front in the 16th minute, but Thongkhosiem Haokip's header from Naorem Singh's cross was parried to safety by Vishal Kaith.

Midway through the first half, Jordan O'Doherty went down in the box after a nudge from Asish Rai. Ten minutes later, Boumous waltzed into the box but waited too long to get his shot away. Sarthak Golui blocked his eventual effort.

The Mariners drew first blood in the 56th minute. Boumous found himself open in the midfield. The Frenchman tried his luck from range, and it paid off. The ball bounced right in front of Kamaljit Singh and landed in the back of the net.

Also read: ISL 2022-23: Kerala Blasters suffer 3rd consecutive loss; Mumbai City remains unbeaten

Before the Torch Bearers could recover, ATK Mohun Bagan doubled their advantage just ten minutes later. Dimitri Petratos' effort found its way through to Manvir. The striker's goal-bound shot picked up a slight deflection off Jerry Lalrinzuala's boot and beat Kamaljit at the near-post.

In the 68th minute, Kaith quickly denied O'Doherty's powerful long-range effort. Minutes later, Eliandro dos Santos came on for Ivan Gonzalez and muscled through the ATKMB defence. He played a sublime pass towards Cleiton Silva before the attack was thwarted by the Mariners' substitute Lenny Rodrigues, summing up East Bengal's day.

Following the clash, ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder Hugo Boumous dedicated his goal to the supporters. "I dedicate my goal to the fans. It was great to play in the first Kolkata Derby at home in the ISL. The atmosphere was amazing. I want to give them a huge thanks and I hope to see them again with the stadium fully packed. Not only against East Bengal, but also against the other sides in the ISL," he said.

"It’s an amazing feeling to score this goal. I haven’t scored for a while in front of 62,000 people. This was the first derby at home in this amazing stadium (after two seasons). I thank all the supporters in Kolkata, they had a huge contribution in our success. Most importantly, we are happy for the win. I was lucky enough to score and it is always important to contribute to the success of the team but for me, goals or assists are not that important. My goal is to work for the team and contribute to the success of the team. I am not chasing any awards. I have to work hard on the pitch, enjoy, play quality football, help my teammates and give back to the fans," Boumous added.

Also read: ISL 2022-23: Nandhakumar Sekar sinks Bengaluru FC as Odisha FC goes atop the table

"It's a great win for us. We need to enjoy this night and then, we need to recover properly and get a good day off. As the coach said, we need to clear our minds. And then from the start of the week, work again. This win is good for our confidence as we have three more points in the bag. But we have to do better than tonight and do more than we did if we want to get the three points away against Mumbai City FC," he remarked.

The victory lifts ATK Mohun Bagan to the fourth position in the ISL 2022-23. They are four points off the top with a game in hand. The Mariners will travel to the west coast to face Mumbai City FC in their next match on November 6, Sunday.

After losing the derby, East Bengal FC remains in eighth place in the ISL 2022-23. East Bengal will host Chennaiyin FC on November 4 for their next fixture.