Jason Cummings came off the bench to score a late goal as Mohun Bagan fought hard for a 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC in their ISL clash at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.

The breakthrough came in the 86th minute, moments after Greg Stewart’s introduction.

The Scotsman made an immediate impact, finding Cummings inside the box with a perfectly weighted pass.

The Australian striker made no mistake, smashing the ball past Nawaz to ignite euphoric celebrations among the Salt Lake crowd.

The defending Shield winners now are ahead of Bengaluru FC on goal difference at the top of the 13-team standings, logging 20 points from nine games each.

Chennaiyin FC have 12 points from 10 matches at eighth place.

The opening-half was a cagey affair, with neither team managing to break the deadlock.

Mohun Bagan looked to set the tempo early, with Liston Colaco and Dimi Petratos testing Chennaiyin’s defence.

However, it was the visitors who nearly drew first blood, with Irfan Yadwad and Connor Shields causing trouble for the Mariners’ backline.

The standout moment of the half came in the 38th minute when Chennaiyin goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz pulled off a spectacular save to deny Colaco’s curling effort.

The game remained evenly-poised at halftime, with both sides rueing missed opportunities.

The second-half saw a flurry of tactical changes, with both coaches looking to find the breakthrough.

Mohun Bagan introduced Sahal Abdul Samad and Jason Cummings in quick succession, while Chennaiyin responded with Daniel Chukwu and Lukas Brambilla to add fresh legs.

Chennaiyin pushed for an equaliser in the dying minutes, but Vishal Kaith and the Mohun Bagan defence held firm, ensuring the three points stayed in Kolkata.