Calvin Baretto’s late goal helps Mumbai FC to overcome PIFA Colaba

by Siddharth Yadav December 15, 2015

A late strike from Mumbai FC saw them edging PIFA Colaba 1-0 in the HERO U18 I-League Maharashtra Zone clash at Cooperage Stadium on Monday evening.

Substitute Calvin Baretto scored on the 71st minute, which proved to be the only goal of the match. Both the team had series of opportunities but their poor finishing in front of the goal kept haunting them until Calvin’s lone goal.

The host could have taken the lead on the 9th minute itself. Sudhakar Ranjan made a quick run from the left flank and delivered a fantastic low cross towards Kishan Dubey, who somehow failed to bury his shot into the back of the net when he saw his right footed shot sailing over the bar.

Mumbai FC had the better share of ball possession for the majority of the first-half, but their poor display in the final third once again has been the talking point of their U18 I-League campaign.

Mumbai’s Rohan Shukla came close to break the deadlock four minutes from the half-time, his right footed shot from the edge of the box went over the bar.

Both the Mumbai based club went into the break with scores tied at 0-0.

PIFA Colaba started to press Mumbai FC in the early stages of the second-half and it did turned out to be a good move for the visitors.

They started to build up couple of good moves in the first twenty minutes of the second-half, but a gritty defense of Mumbai FC kept PIFA Colaba at bay.

With twenty minutes remaining, the host finally broke the deadlock when substitute Calvin Baretto sprint all the way from the half-line till the edge of the box before launching a powerful left footed drive, which struck the inside of the left hand post and burried in the back of the net.

Minutes later, PIFA Colaba’s Anis Rehman Pathan saw his 30 yards free kick just close to find the back of the net which could have really changed the course of the match.

PIFA Colaba once again came closed to grab a late equalizer. On the 88th minute, Deepak Kanojia shot was brilliantly saved by Abhishek Thote from his feet, making spectators giving him a round of applause from the stands.

Another Mumbai’s substitute, Asifullah Khan could have put the tie to the bed in the injury time when his powerful effort rattled the post from a precise Vineel Poojary’s cross.

This move also proved to be the last piece of the action as Mumbai FC registered an important win.