Mike Okoro scores the winning goal at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: Mohammedan Sporting coasted to their second win in as many matches in the Sahara CFL Premier Division tie at Barasat Stadium on Wednesday. Mike Okoro’s goal in the 37th minute sealed Peerless’ fate in an otherwise drab encounter made worse by some inept refereeing.

Shabbir Ali’s wards looked disjointed and were lucky to have returned with three points. Satyajit Bose, with his searing runs down the right flank, proved to be their livewire. With Theodore Sunday bottled up by Peerless’ Madhab Das, there was none to utilise the opportunities inside the penalty box.

Mohammedan Sporting attacks were concentrated on the right flank and once Peerless managed to strengthen the left side of their defence, it was curtains for the glamour team. Okoro tried his best, covering a huge area, but that was not enough for his side to pierce the rival defence.

It was the Mohammedan Sporting captain’s flash of brilliance that finally earned them the goal. A Satyajit cross from the right landed at Okoro’s feet. He dribbled past a couple of defenders before placing it past an advancing Arunava Das.

Okoro got another chance towards the fag end of the match but shot straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.

Mohammedan Sporting tried out Vinoo Jose and Roque Barreto (as substitute in the second half) for the first time this season, but both looked to be terribly out of sorts. Peerless dominated the proceedings for most of the first half and even came close to scoring on a couple of occasions.

Mohammedan Sporting next face East Bengal on Sunday but will need to tighten their defence for a positive outcome.

TEAMS

Mohammedan Sporting: Imran Khan, Bijoy Das, Subhas Mondal, Vinoo Jose (Pradip Tiwary 45), Mir Farooq Hyder, Satyajit Bose, Sk Azim, Prashanta Chakraborty, Lalchhuan Awma (Bapi Chowdhury, 84), Mike Okoro, Theodore Sunday (Roque Barreto, 73).

Peerless: Arunava Das, Zoheb Hassan, Satish Kr Baati, Madhab Das, Dipak Singh, Uttam Debnath (Subrata Das, 45), Tanay Halder, James Ugwu Agbo, Arup Singha, Babin Biswas, Tilak Saha.

Referee: Barun Saha.

Man of the Match: Mike Okoro.