Mohun Bagan striker Ashim Biswas attempts a backvolley during the match against Tollygunge Agragami at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Calcutta: The jeers at lemon break turned into cheers after the final whistle as Mohun Bagan ended their three-match winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Tollygunge Agragami.

What psychologist Paromita Mitra Bhowmick and Team India captain Sourav Ganguly couldn?t do, P.K. Banerjee?s vocal tonic had done ? earned the green-maroons a much-needed win.

The three points helped them finish their first phase on 15 points from 11 outings, while Tollygunge end on 11 from the same number of matches.

However, the green-maroons had to wait till the dying moments for the winning goal in Sunday?s National Football League tie for the ONGC Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium. The score at the breather were level at 1-1, Gauranga Dutta?s 44th minute strike nullifying Basudeb Mondal?s 14th minute goal for Mohun Bagan.

It looked that the match was headed for yet another draw when Ashim Biswas ? who till then had missed a couple of sitters ? finally getting the winner in the 91st.

Despite the victory, the green-maroons hardly looked in top form. Other than Basudeb, who was rightly adjudged the Man-of-the-Match, the midfield looked jittery. Mehtab Hussain, played in an unusual role of central midfielder, was at a loss. The absence of Noel Wilson was being hugely felt. And yet, the opposition failed to capitalise. A string of miss-passes was their bane, and the reluctance of players like Suley Musah to move up, added to it.

Moreover, Tollygunge coach Biswajit Das? conservative approach, playing with only Akeem Abolanle upfront, helped the rival defenders.

Mohun Bagan, however, had better share of exchanges and put pressure on their rivals from the word go. They got the lead before the quarter-hour mark, Basudeb, finding space, let go a prompt right-footer that bulged the net with goalkeeper Arindam Ghosh rooted to the spot.

Tollygunge?s first real effort came in the 34th minute. Akeem, latching on to a loose ball, squared it to an overlapping Musah whose shot was blocked by Mohun Bagan custodian Subrata Pal. But the goalkeeper had a rather bad day in office, his interception and gathering not up to the mark.

He could be partly blamed for the equaliser. In a number of matches this season Mohun Bagan have conceded goals in the dying moments and Sunday too was not an exception. Musah (who did spell trouble the few times he moved up) sent in a cross from the right. Surajit Bose?s header came off the bottom part of post to an unmarked Gauranga, who didn?t make a mistake.

They could have added another in the very next minute had Suman Dutta?s rasping right-footer not rebounded off the crosspiece.

Stung by the goal coach Subrata Bhattacharya brought in Dharamjit Singh and Tomba Singh. Their inclusion helped green-maroons attack find some teeth. They stretched the wings, creating a lot of open space down the middle for Basudeb to operate.

Ashim missed an absolute sitter as the goalkeeper narrowed the angle and blocked his shot in the 60th minute. The miss could have turned costly had the striker not made amends in injury time. Tomba?s perfect defence-splitting pass finding Ashim inside the box. He went past Arindam on the outside and kept his cool to earn his team three vital points.

Roberto Mendes Silva ?Beto?, who had a rather indifferent game, had to taken to a nursing home after he sustained injury on his fractured hand.

TEAMS

Mohun Bagan: Subrata Pal, Mani Tombi Singh, Mehrajuddin Wadao, Eduardo Coelho, Palash Karmakar, Jerry Zirsanga (Tomba Singh 45), Mehtab Hussain (Sunil Chhetri 77), Basudeb Mondal, Rennedy Singh (Dharamjit Singh 45), Roberto Mendes Silva ?Beto?, Ashim Biswas.

Tollygunge Agragami: Arindam Ghosh, Kabijit Khotel, Isiaka Awoyemi, Suley Musah, Saumik Dey, Debkumar Sashmal, Gauranga Dutta (Chinmoy Sarkar 79), Suman Dutta, Santosh Singh, Surajit Bose (Tarif Ahmed 68), Akeem Abolanle.

Referee: Chamchuk Lama (Sikkim).