Cuttack, Nov 10 (IANS) Cameroonian striker Dipanda Dicka, the top scorer in the last two I-League editions, opened this season's account with a brace as former champions Mohun Bagan defeated Indian Arrows 2-0 to register the first win of their campaign.
Dicka's two first-half strikes, the second off a penalty, pulled Mohun Bagan up to the third spot in the league standings with five points from three games.
The Arrows suffered their second loss and remain on three points, courtesy their win against Shillong Lajong at the same venue.
Arrows coach Floyd Pinto began with an unchanged starting XI while Sankarlal Chakraborty of Mohun Bagan brought in Shilton Paul in goal in place of Sankar Roy.
The Arrows strategy was clearly to sit back and defend as Mohun Bagan not only dominated possession but all the goal scoring chances of the first half as well.
As early as the second minute, from an Arijit Bagui floater, Ugandan striker Henry Kisseka found himself in the clear inside the Arrows box but hit wide with only the keeper to beat.
In the seventh minute, Dicka got a free header from an Omar Elhusseiney cross from the left but headed straight to Prabhsukan Gill in the Arrows' goal.
Kisseka missed a couple of easy chances but the goal was coming for Mohun Bagan and it arrived in the 30th minute. Kisseka got hold of the ball outside the Arrows box on the right and bulldozed through three defenders to cross across and past Gill for Dicka, to score with a diving header.
The Arrows began to show some enterprises five minutes from the end of the first half and a Boris Singh run was eye-catching.
However, just before the end of the half, Pintu Mahata, who had switched flanks, cut in from the left and his cross caught the outstretched hand of a defender and referee Gupta pointed to the penalty spot. Dicka slotted in for his and Bagan's second of the game to give the Kolkata giants a comfortable lead going into the break.
Floyd Pinto brought in Khumanthem Meetei in the second half in midfield in place of right back Aimol in a clear change of tactics intended to bring in more attacking impetus. K.P. Rahul , who continues to impress with every outing was at the heart of this impetus but the Mohun Bagan defence led by Nigerian Eze Kingsley held the fort.
Among the best chances for the visitors in the second half was in the 68th minute when from another Arijit Bagui cross from the right flank, Dicka rose to connect with a perfect header but the goal-bound ball was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Gill.
As the game neared its end, Pinto brought in Abhijit Sarkar to bolster the strike force and the Arrows did create some flutter in the Bagan defence to finish strong, but the Kolkata side were through.
Mohun Bagan's Haitian star Sony Norde, on his comeback post a long injury lay-off was again brought into the game, this time in the 65th minute and got his second successive game time which would hold them in good stead in tougher away assignments coming up.
