A fantastic injury-time goal from Mumbai City FC stunned hosts Kerala Blasters FC and earned them a 1-1 draw at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Friday.

  • Halicharan Narzary opened the scoring for the Blasters with an exquisite near-post finish in the 24th minute.
  • Pranjal Bhumij equalised for the Islanders in the 90th minute with a long-range stunner.
  • Blasters leapfrog NorthEast United FC on goal-difference to top the table, while Mumbai put their first points on the table.

The Blasters started the game on the front foot and created the first big chance of the game as early as the 3rd minute. Seiminlen Doungel was on hand to meet a dangerous ball from Narzary from the left and managed to get a good connection, but Amrinder Singh produced an incredible save with his outstretched leg to ensure the score remained unchanged.

The hosts continued piling up the pressure on Mumbai and deservedly took the lead through the promising Narzary. Some neat link-up play between Doungel and Slavisla Stojanovic found the Serbian free in space down the right wing. His lofted ball found Narzary free in the penalty box and the winger took just one touch before firing in a low drive to beat Singh at the near post.

The Islanders were taken aback by the goal and seemed more likely to concede another before the first half. The raucous support of the home crowd was not doing them any favours and tempers started flaring. However, no noteworthy chances were further created in the first period and Kerala went into the break with a slender 1-0 advantage.

The second half continued on the same note with a majority of the action taking place in midfield. Arnold Issoko had the first real opportunity when he found himself free in space down the right-hand side, but his shot failed to hit the target.

A few minutes later, the Blasters had a chance to seal the tie through Stojanovic. The striker picked up the ball just outside the box, swivelled and then delivered a curling shot which narrowly missed the far post.

As the game neared its end, Mumbai had a golden opportunity to attain the all-important equaliser. A long punt upfield was poorly handled by Dheeraj Singh in goal and the ball fell to Modou Sougou, who had an empty net to aim at, but astonishingly missed.

With the game stretching into added time, it looked as though Kerala would go home with all three points. But the Yellow army was silenced when Bhumij levelled proceedings right at the death with an absolute pile-driver. The substitute picked up the ball 30-yards from goal before driving home a stunning effort which flew into the top corner – a brilliant way to mark his first Hero ISL goal. In the end, Kerala had to settle for a point as the referee blew for the final whistle minutes later.

HERO OF THE MATCH

Despite not coming away with a victory, Sandesh Jhingan proved his mettle and resolve yet again, leading his side from the back. The Indian defender became the first player ever to play 60 Hero ISL matches and his solid performance coupled with some crucial last-ditch tackles, showcased why he is considered to be one of the best in the country.

MATCH AWARDS

Club Award – Kerala Blasters and Mumbai City FC

Swift Limitless Player of the Match – Pranjal Bhumij

DHL Winning Pass of the Match – Seiminlen Doungel

ISL Emerging Player of the Match – Dheeraj Singh

Hero of the Match - Sandesh Jhingan

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Blasters will next face the Delhi Dynamos at home on October 20, while Mumbai City will be on the lookout for their first victory of the season when they host FC Pune City on October 19.

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Related tags:

Kerala Blasters FCMumbai City FC 2018-2019Match Report