Maclaren’s Brace Fires Mohun Bagan SG to 3-0 Victory Over Punjab FC in ISL 2024-25 Clash

Mohun Bagan Super Giant continued their dominant run in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season with a convincing 3-0 win over Punjab FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. Jamie Maclaren netted twice, while Liston Colaco added another to strengthen the Mariners’ hold at the top of the league table.  

With 46 points from 20 matches, Mohun Bagan now enjoys a 12-point lead over second-placed Jamshedpur FC, which has played two fewer matches. The victory also marked their ninth consecutive home win and 12th clean sheet of the season.   

Despite Mohun Bagan’s early dominance, Punjab FC defended resolutely in the first half. The Mariners’ first real opportunity came in the 10th minute, when Greg Stewart’s powerful shot was expertly tipped over by Punjab’s goalkeeper Ravi Kumar.  

Mohun Bagan continued to press forward, but Punjab’s disciplined backline thwarted their attempts. Towards the end of the first half, Liston Colaco tried his luck from distance, but Ravi Kumar managed to parry the shot on his second attempt.  

The deadlock nearly broke in the 55th minute, but it was Punjab FC who came closest. Pula Vidal orchestrated a dangerous counter-attack and delivered a precise cross to Petros Giakoumakis, who found himself unmarked in front of goal. However, his strike rattled the post, letting Mohun Bagan off the hook.  

Punjab’s near miss seemed to jolt Jose Molina’s men into action. Just a minute later, in the 56th minute, Dipendu Biswas delivered a well-placed cross to Maclaren, who smartly shielded the ball from Punjab’s Ivan Novoselec before finishing with a low strike past Kumar.  

With momentum on their side, Mohun Bagan doubled their lead in the 63rd minute through Liston Colaco’s solo effort. The winger fired a right-footed shot from a tight angle, catching Kumar off-guard as the ball ricocheted off the post and into the net.  

The Mariners sealed the result in the 90th minute when Maclaren pounced on a defensive error by Punjab’s Ashis Pradhan, slotting home his second goal of the night.  

Before kickoff, Mohun Bagan SG honored their goalkeeper Vishal Kaith with a commemorative jersey for becoming the first shot-stopper in ISL history to reach 50 clean sheets.  

Kaith achieved the milestone in Mohun Bagan’s 4-0 victory over Mohammedan Sporting in their previous match. With 12 clean sheets this season, he remains the frontrunner for the Golden Glove award.  

With yet another emphatic victory, Mohun Bagan inches closer to retaining the League Shield, while Punjab FC will have to regroup as they fight for a higher league position.