A day after he was awarded the 2014 AIFF Player of the Year 2014 award, Sunil Chhetri signed the honour off by scoring two and setting up one as Bengaluru FC beat Salgaocar FC 3-2 in the Federation Cup Group B opener that saw five goals scored in a frantic first half at the Tilak Maidan, in Vasco, on Sunday.

Bengaluru FC decided to boss the game from the word go but Salgaocar began trading punch for punch as soon as Chhetri scored from the spot in the 25th minute. Attempting to put home the skipper’s cross from the left, Rooney shot struck defender Pawan Kumar’s hand before the referee pointed to the spot. Chhetri, who missed his take in Bengaluru’s shootout exit against Salgaocar in the Durand Cup semifinal, picked his corner perfectly even as ’keeper Subrata Paul guessed correctly.

Pegged back, Salgaocar got their equaliser when Gurjinder Kumar scored from a freekick variation close to 30 yards out – a goal that better organisation at the back could have avoided.

With five minutes to the first half and the score at 1-1, slowing down things would have been the route one would expect both teams to take. But it wasn’t to be. Bengaluru shot into the lead for the second time after a brilliant build-up saw Chhetri grab his second of the match. In possession deep inside the Blues’ half, Josh Walker set Beikhokhei Beingaichho on a run after picking him out with a delicate chip. The nippy winger ran the distance, stopped for a second before floating one over the Salgaocar defence and at Chhetri’s feet. All the skipper had to do was finish and he used the outside of his foot to oblige.

It took only a minute for Salgaocar to quell the Bengaluru celebrations when Douhou Pierre, after skipping past Walker, smashed home from outside the box to make it 2-2. But given the dominant display they had out on all through the first half, Bengaluru only deemed it right that they walk away with the honours at the end of the 45. Skipping down the left, Chhetri picked out Rooney with an inch-perfect pass and the Australian striker scored one that mattered the most, against his former club, with a simple finish.

Assistant coach Pradhyum Reddy, who was commanding the touchline as Ashley Westwood is still serving his four-game suspension, rung in changes a little beyond the hour mark when he threw in CK Vineeth for Beikho and Robin Singh for Chhetri. Bengaluru were happy to seize control and kept possession smartly. Lost balls were retrieved swiftly and nothing erratic was attempted. The defence, led by man-of-the-match John Johnson, kept it simple as Bengaluru finished things with a win they deserved.

Bengaluru FC face Mohun Bagan in their second group game on Tuesday.