Okolie Odafa scored a hat-trick to help Mohun Bagan beat Sporting Clube de Goa 3-1 in the fourth round I-League match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.
Joseph Pereira was on target in the 90th minute for the Goan side after Odafa had completed his hat-trick.
Mohun Bagan’s stand-in coach Mridul Banerjee changed the shape, employing Odafa as the lone striker while strengthening the midfield with an extra man.
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Spectacular goal
The ploy worked as Mohun Bagan produced the most dominant show of the season. The Nigerian striker showed a touch of brilliance as he nicely curled in a free-kick past the Sporting Clube goalkeeper L. Ashok Singh for a spectacular goal in the 13th minute.
Mohun Bagan doubled its lead in the 41st minute when Odafa struck again off another set-piece – a corner this time. Odafa continued to search for more goals and completed his hat-trick in the 55th minute tearing through the Sporting Clube defence to convert a fine pass from Syed Rahim Nabi.
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Joseph Pereira capitalised on Bagan’s ‘laid-back’ approach to score the lone reply for Goa. Mohun Bagan tallied six points from four matches while Sporting Clube de Goa remained on four points from as many outings.
The result: Mohun Bagan 3 (Okolie Odafa 13, 41, 55) bt Sporting Clube de Goa 1 (Joseph Pereira 90).