Diamond Harbour FC continued its winning run in the Durand Cup with a commanding 8-1 victory over BSF Football Club in a Group B clash at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK) in Kolkata.
Brazilian forward Clayton Silva starred with four goals (2’, 35’, 71’, 90+3’) while Slovenian forward Luka Majcen netted a brace (7’, 39’). Paul (53’) and Jobby Justin (67’) added to the tally. BSF FC’s lone goal came from Kishori in the 90th minute.
The I-League 2 champion needed just two minutes to make its intentions clear, as Clayton opened the scoring with a composed right footed finish off a Justin cross. Majcen doubled the lead five minutes later, smashing in after a scramble by Clayton in the box.
In the 35th minute, Silva struck again with a volley from Girik’s cross, after Paul and Jobby combined to create the opportunity and just four minutes later, Majcen made it 4-0 after receiving a lofted pass from the Brazilian.
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The leading side picked up where it left off in the second half as Paul added the fifth in the 53rd minute, beating the BSF defense with a low drive. BSF’s backline continued to struggle under pressure, and Jobby Justin scored the sixth with a powerful header from Samuel’s corner in the 67th minute.
Silva completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute, capitalising on a failed clearance from another corner. Though BSF pulled one back in the 90th minute through Kishori, after a neat assist by Harmandeep, it was a mere consolation. The Brazilian capped off a stellar night with his fourth goal in injury time, powering in a shot from outside the box to make it 8-1.
With this emphatic win, Diamond Harbour FC moved to the top of Group B with six points.
Earlier in the day, Indian Navy Football Team (INFT) earned a crucial 2-1 win over I-League side Real Kashmir FC (RKFC) in a closely contested Group F encounter at the Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal to earn the first victory in the competition since 2021.
Goals from Vijay Marandi (6’) and Sreyas V G (70’) ensured full points for the Sailors, while Franck William Sessegnon’s 64th-minute strike proved to be a consolation for the Snow Leopards.
