ISL 2015: Sunil Chhetri and Frederic Piquionne power Mumbai City to 2-0 win over FC Goa
Mumbai City FC earned a second successive win in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) after they put in a splendid performance to down FC Goa 2-0 at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday evening. Sunil Chhetri continued his goalscoring form after his penalty set Mumbai City FC on their way.
Unlike previous games, Nicolas Anelka made just two changes to his starting eleven, bringing in Frederic Piquionne and Ashutosh Mehta in place of Subhash Singh and Aitor respectively. FC Goa played Victorino Fernandes in place of Reinaldo, while local boy Raju Gaikwad came in at right back for The Gaurs.
First Half: Chhetri gives Mumbai City the lead
The game got off to a cracking start with the visitors FC Goa coming out of the blocks fairly quickly and had their first attempt of the game after Leo Moura pounced on a loose ball following a tackle by Mumbai City’s Pavel Cmovs on Victorino Fernandes, but Moura’s effort sailed inches over the target.
The Gaurs had an edge over their hosts in the beginning and they almost profited in the eighth minute when Moura’s corner was flicked on by Luciano Sabrosa for Victorino Fernandes whose glancing header from six yards out went wide of the target.
FC Goa continued to pose a threat on the counter and came very close to scoring in the 14th minute when a swift FC Goa break from a Mumbai City FC corner saw Leo Moura burst forward in space in the middle of the park before playing Victorino Fernandes through on goal. But the FC Goa forward could only see his dinked effort over an onrushing Subrata Pal cleared by the Mumbai City FC defence before it reached the target.
Mumbai City FC eventually took control of the game and slowly began to impose a threat of their own as the half progressed. A patiently built-up move in the 28th minute almost got Mumbai their first goal when Frederic Piquionne was inches away from making a telling connection to a cross from Sony Norde from the left flank.
However, the hosts who had grown into the game did not have to wait too long to take the lead after they were given a great opportunity to do so, when the referee pointed to the spot for a foul on Frederic Piquionne in the box. Sunil Chhetri stepped up to coolly slot the penalty and give Mumbai City FC a 33rd-minute lead.
The goal proved to be a real shot in the arm for the hosts as they took the attack to the visitors and FC Goa’s goalkeeper Kattimani had to be at his very best to deny Mumbai City FC from doubling their lead on two occasions before the first half. Initially he tipped a Sunil Chhetri curler wide in the 39th minute, before pulling off a one on one save from Frederic Piquionne, a minute later.
Half time came at a wrong time for the hosts who were completely on top when the referee signaled the end of the first half. Mumbai City FC deservedly went into the break in front and could have been further away had it not been for Kattimani.
Second Half: Frederic Piquionne doubles Mumbai City’s lead early
The change of ends had little bearing on the flow of the game as Mumbai City FC got off to a dream start in the second half when Frederic Piquionne doubled Mumbai City FC’s lead just three minutes from the restart after FC Goa were caught napping a free kick which was taken short by Sony Norde to Fanai whose delightful cross was headed home by Piquionne.
FC Goa, who faced a mountain to climb, made a double change minutes before the hour mark as Joffre and Mandar Rao Dessai came on for Bikramjit Singh and Pranoy Halder. The substitutions almost had the perfect impact in the 59th minute when Victorino Fernandes who was on the end of a beautifully threaded pass from midfield, fired over the target as big chance went begging for FC Goa.
Nicolas Anelka responded to Zico’s change as he brought on defender Frantz Bertin in place of striker Frederic Piquionne as Sunil Chhetri slotted in the striker’s role.
Victorino Fernandes missed yet another glorious chance to put FC Goa on the scoresheet when he fired his shot from a Narayan Das cross from the left straight at Subrata Pal. The Mumbai City FC goalkeeper was alert once again when he made a save at full stretch to deny FC Goa again.
The D.Y. Patil rose to its feet when marquee player Nicolas Anelka came on for Sony Norde in the 76th minute after the Haitian had yet another good game for Mumbai City FC.
Mumbai City FC were content to sit on their two goal lead in the final ten minutes of the game, playing with a five-man defence and allowing FC Goa to come at them. But The Gaurs had little fuel left in their tank and couldn’t find a way past a packed Mumbai City FC defence.
The win lifted Mumbai City to sixth place in the ISL table and put them firmly into the mix for the semi-finals. The defeat kept FC Goa in touching distance of the chasing pack as the top of the ISL table became excitingly congested.