Jose Ramirez Barreto at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Mohun Bagan extended their lead at the top of the Sahara CFL Premier Division by beating Peerless SC 2-1 on Monday at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Heavy rains meant the two teams had to play on a muddy pitch with soft underfoot conditions not aiding ‘beautiful’ football. The two sides still went hammer and tongs at each other from the word go, trying to pass their way into the opposition half.

Mohun Bagan had the first chance when Lalawmpuiya took a crack on goal within the first quarter of the match. The shot was parried away smartly by Arunava Das, under the bars for Peerless.

Bagan looked to have taken the lead in the 18th minute, when a green and maroon player’s header seemed to have crossed the line, before a last ditch clearance from a Peerless defender.

Peerless hit Mohun Bagan on the break, soon after and took a shock lead through Uzozle Emmanuel’s powerful header from a Zoheb Hassan cross.

Bencharifa’s boys equalised in the 32nd minute through Lalawmpuiya’s simple tap in. The goal came from a long Peter Odafe throw, which was guided to an unmarked Lalawmpuiya at the back post by Anand Vasan.

The second half was a story of near misses from both sides, till the evergreen Jose Ramirez Barreto popped up with the winner in the 51st minute. Barreto, striking home after a deadly half-turn smartly converted Mohan Raj’s minus from the left, sending the Bagan fans home celebrating.

TEAMS

Mohun Bagan: Sangram Mukherjee, Habibur Rahaman Mondal, Peter Odafe, Anand Vasan, Mohan Raj(Sanjoy Boro, 61), L.James Singh(Rino Anto, 62), Lalkamal Bhowmick, Rakesh Masih, Lalramluaha(Kartick Kisku, 25), Lalawmpuiya, Jose Ramirez Barreto

Peerless SC: Arunava Das, Zoheb Hassan, Soumen Sarkar, Srekanta Koley, Bapi Saha(Manik Barman, 46), Avinabo Bag(Tilak Saha, 80), James Agbo, Anit Ghosh, Babin Biswas(Upendra Singh, 70), Tarak Mahato, Uzozle Emmanuel

Referee: Rathin Mukherjee

Man of the Match: Jose Ramirez Barreto