Kolkata, August 31: Mohammedan Sporting Club secured an important 2–1 victory over Kalighat Sports Lovers on Monday afternoon at the Mohammedan Sporting ground in the Calcutta Football League. Mohammedan started the match on the front foot and took an early lead, while Kalighat came back strongly in the second half and made the contest edge to edge until the final whistle.

Mohammedan got the perfect start as they were awarded a penalty in the 8th minute. The opportunity came after an attacking move inside the box, with Israfil earning the spot-kick for his side. Mahitosh stepped up and converted the penalty to give Mohammedan a 1–0 lead.

After taking the early advantage, Black Panthers continued to look for another goal and put pressure on the Kalighat defence. Their attacking efforts paid off as they doubled their lead. At 21st minute Lalthankima received a through ball and showed composure inside the box. He went past the defender and then the goalkeeper before placing the ball into the empty net. Mohammedan made it 2–0 and went into the half-time break with a comfortable advantage.

However, Kalighat Sports Lovers returned for the second half with a different approach. They started attacking more and tried to put Black Panthers under pressure. The efforts of Kalighat finally brought them back into the match in the 56th minute.

Bhawani received the ball on the left side inside the box and unleashed a powerful shot. The effort took a deflection off Mohammedan defender Rahul Naskar though it was on target the shot didn’t changed its direction through Rahul’s deflection before finding the back of the net. Kalighat reduced the deficit to 2–1 and suddenly the match was wide open.

With the goal giving them confidence, Kalighat Sports Lovers started pushing forward in search of the equaliser. They continued to attack from both sides and earned a number of free-kicks as Mohammedan tried to stop their momentum. Mohammedan, meanwhile, focused on keeping their defensive shape and protecting their one-goal advantage.

The Black and White brigade also had their moments as they looked to finish the match, but Kalighat continued to fight until the final stages. In the 89th minute, Fardin created another dangerous moment for Kalighat. Starting from the left, he cut past three players and made his way inside the box before unleashing a shot. Though keeper Roni Das however, was alert and made the save to deny the threat.

The final whistle confirmed a 2–1 victory for Mohammedan Sporting Club. After taking a two-goal lead in the first half, they had to work hard in the second half as Kalighat made the contest difficult, but Mohammedan eventually secured all three points.

With the win from 10 matches, Mohammedan Sporting Club moved to the top of Group B with 21 points. The group remains highly contested, with Coal India sitting second with 19 points from 10 matches, while United Sports Club are third with 17 points from the same number of matches. All three teams have one match remaining, making the final race for the CFL 2026 Super Six qualification an interesting one.