PUNE, Dec 15: Mumbai FC got back to the winning ways as they beat United Sikkim FC 1-0 in the Round XI match of the I-league football championship at the Balewadi stadium on Saturday (December 15).
The result saw Mumbai jump to the 5th position with 16 points and leapfrogging Prayag United in the table.
United Sikkim remained unmoved on No 12 position with 8 points, only one point above the drop zone.
First real chance came in the seventh minute for the visitors when Sikkim’s Michael Rodrigues had a free-kick from outside the box deflected off Attivi and into the hands of Luis Barretto.
United Sikkim looked threatening once again as a long cross found Linekar Machado who headed the ball wide.
Mumbai slowly grew into the game by finding their passes and creating openings but largely failed to break the Sikkim defense.
It all changed in the 26th minute of the match when Yusif Yakubu was sent clear but was forced to shoot wide as the approaching Monotosh Ghosh held his own to guard the goalpost.
After both teams cancelled each other out in the midfield, Yakubu once again provided Mumbai’s best breakthrough opportunity when he headed a ball to Opara who was brought down.
Dead ball specialist Nicholas Rodrigues stepped up to take the free kick that beat the goalkeeper but hit the cross bar and was cleared out of danger in the 31st minute.
Just at the stroke of half time Mumbai FC struck thanks to a peach of a cross from Nicholas Rodrigues which found the head of Nigerian ND Opara who made no mistake in tapping the ball home and gain the crucial half time lead.
Second half started with a wave of attack from Mumbai FC but nothing transpired in terms of an end product as the forward trio of Yusif Yakubu, ND Opara and Gabriel Fernandes were falling short of supply.
Sikkim’s midfield lynchpin and skipper Michael Rodriguez slowly started growing in influence and dictated the play to try and bring them back into the match.
Nathan Hall, Sikkim’s new coach made his first tactical change of his tenure when Nadong Bhutia was brought off for Budiram Tudu in the 60th minute of the match to freshen things up in the striking department.
On the touchline, Hall was increasingly growing frustrated at his team’s lack of creativity as he was warned by the referee for kicking a bottle after an offside decision.
Mumbai once again threatened to score as Rodrigues and Yakubu came close to extend the lead with ten minutes left to play.
In the end the Opara’s solitary goal was enough for Mumbai to bag all three points as Sikkim travel back empty handed.
Tougher tests await both Hall and Jamil as the two Kolkata giants await them, Mumbai are set to face East Bengal while United Sikkim take on Mohun Bagan in Round XII.
The result saw Mumbai jump to the 5th position with 16 points and leapfrogging Prayag United in the table.
United Sikkim remained unmoved on No 12 position with 8 points, only one point above the drop zone.
First real chance came in the seventh minute for the visitors when Sikkim’s Michael Rodrigues had a free-kick from outside the box deflected off Attivi and into the hands of Luis Barretto.
United Sikkim looked threatening once again as a long cross found Linekar Machado who headed the ball wide.
Mumbai slowly grew into the game by finding their passes and creating openings but largely failed to break the Sikkim defense.
It all changed in the 26th minute of the match when Yusif Yakubu was sent clear but was forced to shoot wide as the approaching Monotosh Ghosh held his own to guard the goalpost.
After both teams cancelled each other out in the midfield, Yakubu once again provided Mumbai’s best breakthrough opportunity when he headed a ball to Opara who was brought down.
Dead ball specialist Nicholas Rodrigues stepped up to take the free kick that beat the goalkeeper but hit the cross bar and was cleared out of danger in the 31st minute.
Just at the stroke of half time Mumbai FC struck thanks to a peach of a cross from Nicholas Rodrigues which found the head of Nigerian ND Opara who made no mistake in tapping the ball home and gain the crucial half time lead.
Second half started with a wave of attack from Mumbai FC but nothing transpired in terms of an end product as the forward trio of Yusif Yakubu, ND Opara and Gabriel Fernandes were falling short of supply.
Sikkim’s midfield lynchpin and skipper Michael Rodriguez slowly started growing in influence and dictated the play to try and bring them back into the match.
Nathan Hall, Sikkim’s new coach made his first tactical change of his tenure when Nadong Bhutia was brought off for Budiram Tudu in the 60th minute of the match to freshen things up in the striking department.
On the touchline, Hall was increasingly growing frustrated at his team’s lack of creativity as he was warned by the referee for kicking a bottle after an offside decision.
Mumbai once again threatened to score as Rodrigues and Yakubu came close to extend the lead with ten minutes left to play.
In the end the Opara’s solitary goal was enough for Mumbai to bag all three points as Sikkim travel back empty handed.
Tougher tests await both Hall and Jamil as the two Kolkata giants await them, Mumbai are set to face East Bengal while United Sikkim take on Mohun Bagan in Round XII.
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