CALCUTTA, Jan 21: Mohun Bagan consolidated their position at the top of the National Football League table with a 1-0 victory over FC Kochin at the Salt Lake Stadium today. The game, played in wet gloomy conditions which forced the organisers to put on the lights at 2.30 pm itself, saw missed opportunities galore as the players found it difficult to control the ball. Slipping and sliding forced a decrease in the pace of the game, the steady drizzle continuing for the entire 90 minutes. This one had the makings of a good match, knowing the two teams, but the weather reduced it to a mediocre affair. Bagan are at the top of the table with 17 points while Kochin have 13 points after today's match.Bagan started off in an attacking mood with Chima Okerie creating an opening in the third minute. The shot, from the left, hit a Kochin defender before going into goalkeeper VN Dinesh's hands. Dinesh, who was in Mumbai attending to his father's funeral, had to rush back to assist his side after Kochin were left without a goalkeeper. Understandably in a very weak mental state, the young custodian's job was made difficult by the rain. A number of times, the ball popped out of his hands, however, no damage was done.Kochin, also missing the services of Ghanian midfielder Mohammed Salisu, were somehow lacking in cohesion. IM Vijayan did make moves up front, but there was no one to support him. Raman Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri were doing most of the running but could not control the ball before shooting. As a result, most of them were off target.Both teams got almost equal number of chances in the first half with Raman hitting over from hand-shaking distance in the seventh minute and Bagan's Dipendu Biswas heading wide a Satyajit Chatterjee centre three minutes later. Midfielder Soumitra Chakraborty was doing all the hard work for Bagan. He even made an attempt in the 26th minute, his long-ranger sailing over the bar. Basudev Mondal fired Bagan's first salvo of the second half in the opening minute - a long-ranger which went over the bar. Kochin got a few chances after that with Bagan 'keeper Hemant Dora saving a few and the others being wide. IM Vijayan also unfortunate to see one of his attempts coming off the cross-piece after hitting Dora's hand.The goal came in the 60th minute at a time when the 10,000 odd Bagan fans were becoming restless. Right-back Riazul Mustafa crossed for an unmarked Okerie in the Kochin box. The big Nigerian headed in with a tiny leap to set off celebrations in the stands. Five minutes later, Okerie was once again in a very dangerous position with a Basudev Mondal cross, but Dinesh was firm in his denial this time.
