Mumbai City FC hold Kerala Blasters FC to a goalless draw in front of a 61,483-strong crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Saturday. Both sides started the game cautiously with Mumbai City FC looking for their first points of the season. There were chances galore but the teams failed to convert them into goals and that resulted in the first goalless draw of Hero Indian Super League Season 2.Mumbai City FC made a good start to the game with Sony Norde in particular looking dangerous on the left. Gabriel Fernandes had the first shot of game in the 5th minute when he blazed a long searching ball from the back over the Kerala Blasters FC goal.The visitors continued with their early pressure and called Kerala keeper Stephen Bywater into action in the 12th minute. Singam Subash Singh tried guiding in a Norde free-kick into the Kerala goal but Bywater was positioned perfectly to thwart out the danger.Bywater’s opposite number’s first meaningful touch came six minutes later. Victor Herrero Forcada’s attempted cross was heading straight into the Mumbai net when an alert Debjit Majumder did just enough to help the ball over the bar, conceding a corner in the process. The resultant was also dealt with effectively by Majumder who punched clear to offer his side some breathing space as Kerala started to get a foothold.Undeterred Mumbai kept pushing on, looking more likely of the two sides to break the deadlock. Norde especially posing a constant threat on Kerala’s right hand side. The Haitian’s pace and strength made life difficult for Kerala defenders Rahul Bheke and Gurwinder Singh. His thundering shot in the 38th minute could have easily found the back of the net had it been a yard to the right or left of Bywater.As was the case for most of the opening period, it was Norde once again who had the last shot of the first half which saw both teams heading in at the break all square.Singam began the second period as the brightest in Mumbai’s attacking line. Two early efforts from him tested Bywater as Mumbai kept probing the Kerala goal in search of the game’s opening goal.Both managers rang in the changes soon after to alter the course of the game. Kerala gaffer Peter Taylor replaced Manandeep Singh with Ishfaq Ahmed while Mumbai City FC’s marquee player-cum-coach Nicolas Anelka bought on Ashutosh Mehta and Selim Benachour for Aitor Fernandez Lopez and Thangjam Singh.Singam had a golden opportunity in the 76th minute to put the visitors ahead when he was through one-on-one with Kerala keeper Bywater. Only a last-ditch tackle by Kerala’s skipper Peter Ramage saved the home-team’s blushes as the score remained 0-0.Substitute Sanchez Watt, who came on in the 72nd minute for Kerala Blasters, had their best opportunity ten minutes after his introduction. The Englishman should have put his side in front, however, a heavy touch allowed Mumbai’s keeper to close him down and kill the attack.Mumbai substitute Frederic Piquionne came closest to scoring two minutes later when his shot thudded against the Kerala goalpost. Both side’s substitutions were starting to leave their mark on the game as fresh legs were clearly making their presence felt in the sweltering heat of Kerala.Norde could have put the game to bed two minutes from time but the Haitian failed to wrap his foot around the ball as his shot was dragged wide of the target. This was the game’s last meaningful bit of action as Mumbai got their first point of the campaign and Kerala maintain their undefeated start.Match awards:Club Award – Shared by both teamsSwift Moment of the Match – Victor Pulga (Kerala Blasters FC)Amul Fittest Player of the Match – Sony Norde (Mumbai City FC) (Watch here) ISL Emerging Player of the Match – Gabriel Fernandes (Mumbai City FC)Hero of the Match – Singam Subash Singh (Mumbai City FC) (Watch here)
