ISL 3: Costa’s late Stunner salvages Mumbai a point

by Chittu Shetty November 2, 2016

A late strike from substitute Leo Costa ensured Mumbai came away with a crucial away point from Chennai after Jeje’s 51^st minute strike had put the home side in front.

Jeje scored his second goal of the season

Both sides headed in to the game with a chance to move to the top of table. With Materazzi suspended from the sidelines for the game, Chennai took the field with five changes. While Kerr came back between the sticks, Peluso, Jeje, Harmanjot Khabra were also drafted back in the side. Fresh from injury, Thoi Singh also started the game as the fifth change. Mumbai on the other hand started an unchanged side that won against Kolkata.

The game began on a dull note wither neither side looking to threaten or to make an impact. In the 15^th minute after some crisp play between Peluso and Raphael Augusto, the ball was fed for Jeje just outside the box but as the Mizoram striker lined up for a shot, Gerson came with a crucial tackle from behind to foil chennaiyin’s first notable move.

Few minutes later, Chennaiyin had another opportunity from 25 yards when Anwar Ali got booked for a needless hand ball. Peluso’s goal bound free kick was thwarted away by a diving Albino Gomes as Mumbai survived a scare.

At the half hour mark, another chance went squandering for Chennai when Thoi singh’s cross for Jeje was crucially intercepted by an impressive Goian. In the 36^th minute, Forlan created the first real chance for Mumbai when his blistering shot from around 30 yards skimmed over the bar.

Both sides headed in to the break with nothing to show on the scoresheet. Second half began with Chennaiyin replacing an unimpressive Thoi Singh with Dudu. Chennai began with an attacking intent looking for that elusive goal. In the 51^st minute, Peluso’s cross from right corner found Jeje rising smartly and heading the ball down past the unbalanced Gomes as chennaiyin took the lead.

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Few minutes later, Jeje had another chance to double the tally, when Jerry’s curling delivery found him inside the box, but the striker’s first time touch was little too heavy as the ball went over the bar. A slew of changes ensued from both sides with Leo Costa and Jayesh Rane coming off for an injured Gerson and Peluso respectively.

Just before being replaced by Cunha, Cafu took a chance with curling effort from outside the box that was well kept-out by Kerr as Mumbai looked for equaliser.

In the 71^st minute, Chennaiyin had a golden chance to double the lead, when from a counter attack, Jeje ran past Goian and a scattered Mumbai defence to set up an onrushing Dudu for the final kill, However Albino Gomes came off lines deflecting Dudu’s shot away for corner as Mumbai still remained in the game.

Ten minutes later, Forlan tried his luck from a freekick around 35 yards out, the ball was hit well but dropped a little late as it whizzed past the overhead bar. But in the 88^th minute the visitors finally equalized when Leo Costa after receiving a ball from Norde, struck a rasping shot that went past the full stretched Kerr in the far right corner of the post.

The match ended at 1-1 with the Mumbai side earning their first point against Chennaiyin in ISL history remaining at second spot with 12 points from eight games, while materazzi side are at fourth position with ten points from seven games as they continued to drop points at home.

Chennaiyin FC 1 (Jeje 51’) – 1 Mumbai City FC (Costa 88’)