JOIN USHASC hold Bagan to goalless draw
Mohun Bagan failed to live upto their reputation when they were held to a goalless draw by bottom-placed HASC in an I-League match at the Salt Lake stadium on Friday.
The result took Mohun Bagan to 40 points from 23 matches while HASC move to eight points from 22 matches.
The Bangalore outfit have just a solitary win (against United Kerala) in this season.
HASC’s defenders performed brilliantly as they marked Bagan’s talismanic striker Odafa Okolie and shut him out of the game.
Even Brazilian midfielder Hudson Lima, who made a comeback after an injury lay-off, couldn’t help Bagan’s cause.
Bagan, nevertheless, had the first chance of the match -- a Jewel Raja shot from a Jose Barretto pass sailed over the crossbar in the 17th minute of the match.
In the 24th minute, HASC’s Ajith Kumar had a powerful shot from a corner but Paul made a spectacular save.
Changing over, HASC had a couple of half chances and Bagan tried to stem the rot bringing in NP Pradeep in place of AIFF player of the year Sunil Chettri in the 61st mintue.
HASC missed a golden opportunity to surge ahead in the 64th minute as Rohit Chand missed from close range. Bagan went all out in the last 20 minutes but with Odafa not being given any space by the rival defenders, the Kolkata giants were unable to find the breakthrough.