Mumbai held to a draw in derby
Air India held Mumbai FC to a 1-1 draw at the Cooperage in match filled with missed opportunities for the team in yellow and blue.
Peter and John start as center backs
With regular center backs James Dissiramah and Selwyn Fernandes serving suspensions for red cards earned in the previous match against Sporting Club de Goa, it was up to veteran Peter Siddique and the tall John Benadick to marshal the defense.
Major chunk of possession
The opening proceedings were dominated by Mumbai FC as the airmen were not allowed time on the ball with the hosts relentlessly marking the red brigade and nipping any build up play in the bud. The first few chances fell to Mumbai with Felix and Kulothungan failing to convert within the half hour mark.
Kulothungan strikes again
‘Kulo’ came good for Mumbai when he nipped past his marker to head in Felix’s pin point cross to open the scoring for the home team in the 39th minute.
Thereafter Air India clawed their way back into the match and almost got the leveler at the brink of half time when Emmanuel Ovieghara got a touch on Santosh Koli’s half-line free kick.
The equalizer & opportunities wasted
Although Mumbai started the second period as the dominant side, Abhishek Yadav and co. could not convert the chances that fell to them with Felix, Abel and Kulo failing to score and clinch victory. Instead, Emmanuel Ovieghara scored his first goal for Air India as he rose highest to nod in Tayo’s looping cross. Thereafter, Soccor Velho got the best opportunity of the match but amazingly didn’t manage to nick it for the visitors.
Substitutes Alex Ambrose and Jagdish Pappiah created a few sparks in the final quarter of the game but Mumbai FC could not manage to find the back of the net.