Kolkata, Jan 28 (Reporter) Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina praised his players for their commendable effort as his side secured a hard-fought victory over Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) match here. Bengaluru FC started strongly and created several opportunities to take the lead in the first half, but Mohun Bagan gradually grew into the game. The second half saw both teams adopt a cautious approach, struggling to break the deadlock until Liston Colaco capitalized on a miscued clearance to score a stunning volley. Despite Bengaluru FC's relentless push and a few promising chances late in the game, they failed to find an equaliser. The victory marked Mohun Bagan SG's 12th win of the season, extending their lead at the top of the table to seven points over second-placed FC Goa, who have a game in hand. Molina acknowledged Bengaluru FC's threat but expressed satisfaction with his team’s defensive resilience, particularly in the second half. “The match was similar to what we expected. We tried to be more aggressive with the press. In the first half, it was not enough and they could move the ball and have the possession, combinations and create some chances to score. But I think we had some good actions overall to attack, long balls and create more space with Manvir (Singh), Liston, (Jamie) Maclaren. We had some chances. In the second half, we were more aggressive in defence. They are a really good team, we know. They move the ball fast and they put a lot of players inside (the box) to make combinations and play forward. But we defended really well,” he said in the post-match press conference on Monday night. This victory marked the Mariners' eighth consecutive win at the Salt Lake Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten record at home this season. Their only two defeats of the campaign have come on the road. Meanwhile, the Mariners have been held to draws in their last two away games, scoring just a goal. When asked about the contrast in performances between home and away games, head coach Jose Molina expressed his satisfaction with the team's overall consistency. “To play at home with our fans in our stadium is one player more. They are pushing us and helping us. But we are a whole team. Enough though we have fans in other stadiums who can support us.. But it is not the same. From my point of view, only in one match away we were the worst team inside the pitch. It was the Bengaluru match. They deserved the victory," he said. "Even though we lost in Goa, in my opinion it was a 50-50 match. We were not the worst team than FC Goa inside the pitch. To win matches you need to score goals. We didn’t (score) in Chennai. We did in Jamshedpur but not at the level we needed. But we could have scored a lot of goals in Jamshedpur and the other matches,” Molina said. With another crucial win, Mohun Bagan SG have strengthened their hold on the top spot as they continue their quest to defend the Shield. With five Matchweeks remaining for them, Molina was delighted with his team’s position at the summit but admitted that the pressure remains high, regardless of their standing. “We still have games to play. Still a lot of effort to do. We have to fight. There are some matches we have to win. We are closer today, but the job is not done. Here in Mohun Bagan SG, there is never less pressure. The pressure is the maximum we can have. And we know and we understand. It’s not a problem for us and we know how to deal with that. And the pressure will be there until we can win. But it’s not less pressure right now. There will be pressure till the end,” the MBSG head coach said...////...