Mohun Bagan exact revenge as tired East Bengal fall short in IFA Shield final

There was something missing from the Kolkata Derby on Thursday night. The noise was there, the occasion was there, and so was the history between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. But the energy that usually makes this fixture feel different was not quite there.Perhaps it was inevitable. India had only just finished a three-match international window against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, with the last of those games coming on October 6. Two days later, some of those same players were back at the Salt Lake Stadium, this time wearing club colours in an IFA Shield final.It showed, particularly for East Bengal.The first warning came early. Edmund Lalrindika, who had scored a hat-trick against Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup final less than two months ago, found himself with an opportunity in front of goal. This was the same player who had been ruthless in that August final, making decisions almost before the defenders had time to react. Here, there was hesitation and the chance went begging. It was not an isolated moment. East Bengal had the ball for long stretches, but their attacks lacked the sharpness that had been so obvious in their 7-2 semi-final win over NorthEast United. Jay Gupta, fresh from international duty, did not quite have his usual spring either. There were moments when East Bengal’s players looked a fraction slower to the ball, and those small differences began to add up.Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, seemed to understand exactly what this game required. Panagiotis Dilmperis’ side were not interested in matching East Bengal’s possession simply for the sake of it. They were happy to sit in, move across as the ball travelled and wait for their opportunities rather than spending energy unnecessarily. East Bengal had arrived at the final after an emphatic semi-final, with David Lalhlansanga scoring a hat-trick in the 7-2 win over NorthEast United. Mohun Bagan had taken a much more exhausting route, going through 120 goalless minutes against Punjab FC before Vishal Kaith saved two penalties in the shootout. Neither side, therefore, came into the final completely fresh, and with the international window sitting between the two matches, the lack of sharpness was always likely to matter.But it was Mohun Bagan who found the moment that East Bengal could not.Samir Zeljkovic put the Mariners ahead in the first half, and suddenly the game belonged even more to the side that had been willing to give up possession. East Bengal were now forced to chase, while Mohun Bagan could simply continue doing what they had been doing.MOHUN BAGAN DID NOT CHASE THE GAMEThere was a certain intelligence to the way Mohun Bagan played after taking the lead.East Bengal continued to have more of the ball, but Dilmperis’ players were rarely dragged into a frantic contest. They kept their shape, protected the central areas and allowed East Bengal to circulate possession in front of them.That made the task increasingly difficult for Habas’ side. The ball was moving, but the game was not. East Bengal could reach the final third, yet the final pass or decision was often missing. Edmund’s early miss had set the tone, and the same uncertainty kept appearing elsewhere.The contrast with the semi-final was striking. Against NorthEast United, East Bengal had attacked with speed and conviction. David was ruthless, the supporting players arrived quickly and the foreign attackers added another layer to the pressure. Against Mohun Bagan, every move seemed to require an extra touch.Habas had also been left with a selection dilemma after David’s hat-trick. The forward had been the obvious hero of the semi-final and started the final, while Edmund continued to struggle to reproduce the decisiveness that had made him the star of the Durand Cup final.Mohun Bagan did not need to make the game complicated. They had the lead and East Bengal had to find a way through.EAST BENGAL HAD THE BALL, NOT THE BITEThe second half followed much the same pattern.East Bengal had possession and kept trying to push Mohun Bagan back. But the Mariners were comfortable defending without the ball, and the longer the game went on, the more difficult it became for East Bengal to find an opening.The substitutions did little to change that. East Bengal turned to their foreign options, including Ake Loba and Lukasz Zwolinski, hoping to recreate some of the attacking threat they had produced in the semi-final. But there was little space for either to make the sort of impact they had made against NorthEast United.That was partly because Mohun Bagan had no reason to open the game.They were not chasing an equaliser. East Bengal were.So whenever the red-and-gold side pushed forward, Mohun Bagan could wait for the right moment to break rather than committing numbers unnecessarily. It was not the most spectacular way to play a final, but it was effective.And East Bengal simply could not turn their territorial advantage into enough clear chances.There was plenty of movement around the box. There were crosses, half-chances and attempts to work the ball into better positions. But the final action kept falling short.For a side that had scored seven in its previous match, East Bengal looked remarkably toothless.THE INTERNATIONAL WINDOW WAS VISIBLEIt would be too simplistic to put the result down to fatigue. Mohun Bagan had also come through a demanding semi-final, and both teams were playing their second match in a matter of days.But the international calendar had clearly complicated things.India’s final match of the window had been against Uruguay on October 6. Players returned to their clubs almost immediately, with the Shield final following on October 8. Jay Gupta was among the East Bengal players who had been involved with India, while Edmund had also featured during the international run.The difference was not that they suddenly looked incapable of playing football. It was in the little things. The recovery run was not quite as quick. The first touch was not quite as clean. The decision that normally comes instinctively took another second.At this level, that second matters.East Bengal had also expended considerably more energy in their semi-final than Mohun Bagan had in theirs. The 7-2 scoreline against NorthEast United was spectacular, but it also meant a much more open and physically demanding game. Mohun Bagan’s 120-minute battle with Punjab had been exhausting in a different way, but the Mariners were able to make the final much slower once they had taken the lead.That suited them.It did not suit East Bengal.THE REFEREEING DID NOT HELPThere was another familiar issue on the night.After watching international referees operate during India’s three-match run against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, the standard of domestic officiating felt like another noticeable drop.The game was not decided by the referee, and East Bengal cannot point to officiating as the reason they lost. Their biggest problem was the lack of quality in the final third. But there were enough questionable calls and inconsistent moments for the standard of refereeing to become part of the conversation.The contrast was particularly obvious because the players had just spent the previous few weeks operating in an international environment. The pace, physicality and expectations were different, and the domestic final did not quite match that standard.It was another part of an evening in which the overall level felt below what either team is capable of producing.Neither side looked at full strength.And, given the circumstances, that was understandable.MOHUN BAGAN HAVE THE LAST WORDEast Bengal did not stop trying.As the clock moved into added time, they kept throwing the ball forward and finally earned back-to-back corners. It was the kind of late pressure that can turn a quiet final on its head, particularly in a Kolkata Derby where one loose ball can change everything.But Mohun Bagan dealt with it.The final whistle brought an end to a game that had largely followed the pattern established after Zeljkovic’s goal. East Bengal had the possession. Mohun Bagan had the lead. The Mariners had little interest in changing that equation.For Dilmperis, it was a much-needed response to the Durand Cup final.That 4-1 defeat had belonged completely to East Bengal, with Edmund scoring three times and Habas’ side running away with the trophy. This time, there was no repeat. Mohun Bagan found their goal and then played the final on their terms.There was revenge for the Durand Cup, and there was another piece of silverware after last season’s IFA Shield triumph over the same opponents on penalties.But perhaps the bigger takeaway was how little separated the two sides on a night when neither looked capable of producing their best football.East Bengal had the majority of the possession, but Mohun Bagan had the better understanding of the game. They knew when to press, when to sit back and, perhaps most importantly, when not to waste energy.The timing of the final had made freshness a luxury. The international window had just ended, the semi-finals had taken plenty out of both teams and the new ISL season is now only days away.So this was never going to be the prettiest Kolkata Derby.It was simply about who could find enough to win it.Mohun Bagan did.And after the Durand Cup humiliation, they leave the Salt Lake Stadium with the IFA Shield, the bragging rights and the last word.- Ends