FATORDA: Young midfielder Kiyan Nassiri scored a memorable hat-trick as ATK Mohun Bagan once again humiliated a below-par SC East Bengal 3-1 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match on Saturday.
Kiyan scored in the 64th minute and then struck twice in second and third minutes of stoppage time (92nd and 93rd) to finish on a memorable note.
Nassiri is son of former East Bengal legend Jamshed Nassiri, who was known for his powerful headers in the ’80s.
Kiyan is of Iranian descent but the 21-year-old was born and brought up in Kolkata. He has been part of green and maroon brigade since 2019-20 season.
Mohun Bagan now have 19 points from 11 games and are fourth in the league table having played two games less than toppers Hyderabad FC (23 points from 13 games).
East Bengal are predictably last among 11 teams and are still part of the season because the ISL doesn’t have any relegation and promotion.
Kiyan became the youngest hat-trick scorer in the history of ISL but it couldn’t have been more poetic for Kiyan to emerge as a hero for green and maroons in a Kolkata derby where his father has been a vital cog for the red and golds. He had scored a memorable winner in the 1985 Federation Cup.
The Mariners dominated more of the possession but a lack of end product meant that the outfits went into the half-time break on level terms. The second half began on a fiery note with Colaco hitting the top corner with a right-footed curler within minutes from the restart.
On the other end, Antonio Perosevic made Amrinder Singh pull out a crucial save near post with a strong left hand. However, the deadlock was finally broken against all odds by SC East Bengal through Darren Sidoel.
The mid-fielder attacked the near post from a corner, got to the ball first, and guided it past the goalkeeper cleverly.
The Mariners scored the equaliser after the hour mark through Kiyan Nassiri, who came off the bench to make his second appearance for the club.
A couple of minutes later, ATKMB then had the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot through David Williams.
The Australian, however, managed to send his spot-kick into the stands. Hira Mondal then turned up and made a goal-line clearance to deny Colaco a goal.
Six minutes were added for stoppages by the officials which were enough for more moments of magic.
A header from Williams hit the post and fell to Kiyan who made no mistake with the volley and scored the crucial goal.
A minute later, he finally completed an iconic hat-trick with an opportunistic finish. The cameo was enough to ensure three points for the Mariners.
SC East Bengal play top-four candidates Chennaiyin FC in their next at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Wednesday while ATK Mohun Bagan will clash against reigning champions Mumbai City FC at the PJN Stadium on Thursday.