Kochi, Oct 16: Australian forward Dimitri Petratos scored the ongoing Indian Super League season’s first hat-trick as ATK Mohun Bagan ran riot against Kerala Blasters to emerge 5-2 victorious in a high-scoring thriller here on Sunday.
The win ensured the Mariners extend their undefeated streak against the Blasters to five games in the ISL.
The noise inside the Blasters’ fortress reached a crescendo when Ivan Kaliuzhnyi put the hosts in front just six minutes into the game.
Early pressure paid off as the Ukrainian combined well with Sahal Samad on the right before beating Vishal Kaith at the near post.
The stands were silenced in the 26th minute after Boumous sprinted down the left flank and skipped past Ruivah Hormipam before unselfishly putting it on a plate for Petratos to tap the equaliser in.
The game turned on its head in the 38th minute when Manvir Singh spotted Joni Kauko darting towards the box from midfield. The striker found the midfielder with a precise ball before Kauko smashed the ball into the back of the net, swinging the advantage over to the Mariners on enemy territory.
Later, Boumous played another beautiful pass through to Colaco. The winger raced into the box and rolled it into the path of Petratos who smashed it home to establish a two-goal cushion.
Nine minutes from full-time, a Vishal Kaith blunder enabled Rahul KP to pull one back. Rahul’s cross from the right flank picked up a slight deflection and slipped through the gloves of Kaith and snuck into goal as the Blasters pulled themselves back into the game.
Substitute Lenny Rodrigues pounced on a weak Jeakson miss pass in midfield and started a counter by playing it through to Petratos who played the ball back to Rodrigues before the midfielder put his name on the score-sheet, two minutes from time.
Moments later, Rodrigues initiated another attack as he played an excellent ball to Colaco, who played it into the path of Petratos. The striker tapped it in from close range to complete a well-deserved hat-trick in second-half stoppage time. (PTI)
