Mohun Bagan rode on Sony Norde's display to beat Colombo FC 2-1 in the return leg fixture of the AFC Cup qualifiers in Kolkata on Tuesday, winning 4-2 on aggregate to enter the play-off stage in the South Asia Zone.
Fit-again Haitian international Norde showed little signs of his hamstring injury as he fired a powerful right-footer from 22 yards to the top right corner of the net to give Mohun Bagan a 28th-minute lead.
Despite missing an I-League match and the first-leg fixture in Colombo due to the injury he sustained against DSK Shivajians on January 24, Norde was in his element as he assisted Darryl Duffy in Mohun Bagan's second goal in the 56th minute.
Colombo's Ivory Coast signing Seka Jean Yapo, who landed in Kolkata with two of his other foreigner colleagues on Tuesday morning after visa troubles, pulled one back for his team in the 88th minute. Dilan De Silva Kaushalya fed in a quick tap to Yapo and the Ivorian got past four Mohun Bagan players inside the box to slot the ball into the right corner of the net.
Norde impressed not only in his strikes and deft passing but was also brilliant in receiving during his 62-minute stay before coach Sanjoy Sen replaced him with Balwant Singh, who wasted a penalty in the 78th minute.
Norde's form bodes well for Bagan ahead of the much-anticipated Kolkata derby in the I-League in Siliguri on February 12.
The first goal was a brilliant combined effort with Pronay Halder initiating the move from the midfield as Katsumi Yusa took the possession from the right to cross it to Duffy. The Scot held the ball for a few seconds and turned around to set it up for a surging Norde, who took full advantage of being unmarked to give Bagan the lead against the run of play.
After a miss in the 44th minute, Bagan scored their second goal with Yusa initiating the move from near midfield and his diagonal ball controlled by a surging Norde inside the box. Norde sent in a low cross to Duffy, who made it 2-0 with his deft touch that virtually sealed the fate of the Sri Lankan team.
Mohun Bagan will next face Maldives outfit Club Valencia, who defeated Thimpu City FC of Bhutan 3-0 (3-0 aggregate), in their return leg fixture earlier on Tuesday in Male.