Kolkata/Pune/Fatorda, Oct 24 (IANS): Nigerian striker Odafa Okolie fired a hat-trick as Mohun Bagan rallied back after conceding an early goal to get past Pailan Arrows 3-1 in the fifth I-League soccer here Sunday. In other games, Mumbai FC stormed past Air India 4-1, while Sporting Clube de Goa held Prayag United to a 2-2 draw.
In an entertaining encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, Pailan Arrows went into the lead in the 5th minute through Lalrozama Fanai, before Odafa found the target thrice (65th , 71st and 91st minutes) in the second session to ensure full points for Bagan.
Bagan played aggressively in the second half and Odafa levelled terms with a finish off a Hudson Lima cross. Odafa scored again six minutes later by volleying home an Ashim Biswas cross.
Odafa completed his hat-trick in the injury time.
In Pune's Balwadi Sports Complex, Ebik Sukore and Nicolas Rodrigues scored one apiece for Mumbai FC in a span of three minutes in the first half, while forward Sampath Kuttimani struck a brace in a space of eight minutes towards the end to complete the rout.
For Air India, Omi Takayuki scored the consolation goal.
James Moga proved to be Sporting Clube de Goa's saviour as the South Sudan striker headed twice to salvage a point against Prayag at the Nehru stadium in Fatorda.
The South Sudan striker, making his debut for Sporting Clube, twice cancelled Ghanaian striker Yakubu Yusif's goals for Prayag United. The teams shared a goal apiece at the change of ends.
Sporting Clube started strongly from among the two teams as Prayag took time to settle down.
Prayag broke Sporting's back with only their first move in the 10th minute that saw Kayne Vincentslipping in a through ball to Yakubu, who showed fine control and left three defenders on his trail before putting it in past the outstretched hands of Sporting Clube goalkeeper Milagrio Medeira.
Sporting got the equaliser in the 33rd minute when Moga, rose above two Prayag markers to head into the goal a well-measured cross from Boboi Singh.
Prayag got the lead as Shylo Malsawmtluanga played a delightful one-two with Yakubu who, for the second time in the match, left Sporting's defenders flabbergasted with deft ball-skills and a cool finish in the 77th minute.
But it became evens stevens soon as Sporting Clube's Moga was at it again, this time heading Freiman Peixoto's cross from the right into the top corner of the nets.