With this win the Mariners handed themselves a valuable advantage going into next week’s second leg in Kolkata of a tightly contested AFC Cup Preliminary Stage encounter.
In what was to prove an entertaining first half, Mohun Bagan winger Kean Lewis opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a fine header, but the Sri Lankan hosts roared back courtesy of Afeez Olofin’s equalising goal on the half hour mark. It remained 1-1 at the break.
The Kolkata-based club were to bag the winner in the second half when midfielder Sehnaj Singh found the net on 70 minutes to secure a vital one-goal advantage for the visitors.
Colombo FC will nevertheless still consider themselves to be in contention for a spot in the AFC Cup Group Stage ahead of the return fixture at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in Kolkata on February 7.