MPL: Kalina Rangers, Mumbay FC play out 6 goal thriller, Zimik hat-trick fires Kenkre past Mumbai City

by Chittu Shetty February 27, 2025

Thursday’s Mumbai Premier League Championship Playoff round delivered a day of high drama, with Kenkre FC securing a resounding victory over Mumbai City FC, and Kalina Rangers and Mumbay FC playing out a breathtaking six-goal thriller.

Kenkre FC 3-0 Mumbai City FC

Both Mumbai City and Kenkre entered the match needing a win, with City drawing their first two games and Kenkre struggling with two losses and a draw. The early stages were cagey, but it was Kenkre who broke the deadlock. Prem Shinde found Niranjan on the wing, and his cutback into the box was cleverly shielded by T. Zimik. Zimik then turned and fired a powerful shot past the City keeper, giving Kenkre a 1-0 lead.

Early in the second half, Kenkre doubled their advantage. A swift counter-attacking move saw a low cross from the right wing, which T. Zimik calmly tapped into the net, extending his and Kenkre’s tally. Zimik completed his hat-trick with a brilliant solo effort. A poor defensive pass from the Mumbai City colts allowed Zimik to steal the ball and embark on a solo run into the box, beating a couple of defenders along the way. City keeper Harsh Kadam did well to block the initial shot, but Zimik was alert enough to slot home the rebound, sealing a 3-0 victory for Kenkre.

Kalina Rangers 3-3 Mumbay FC

The second match of the day was a goal fest, with Kalina Rangers and Mumbay FC engaging in a high-octane encounter. Mumbay opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a quick counter-attack. A corner clearance from a Mumbay defender was poorly judged by the Kalina defense, allowing Mumbay captain Rohit Mirza to make a blistering run and go clear on goal. Despite the Kalina keeper coming off his line, Rohit’s clinical finish put Mumbay ahead.

Kalina responded immediately. Shoaib Baig did well to steal the ball and burst forward towards the byline, cutting inside the box before sending a low cross to the far post, where an onrushing Ajinkya Birajdar tapped home the equalizer. Mumbay regained the lead in the 44th minute. Altamash Sayed’s cross from the right wing was headed into the net at the far post by A. Reagan. However, Kalina equalized again seconds before halftime, as Shoaib Baig found the net, sending the teams into the break at 2-2.

In the 76th minute, a corner kick saw Arun Nagial rise highest to head the ball powerfully into the net, putting Mumbay back in front. But Kalina refused to give up. In the first minute of injury time, Shoaib’s shot took a deflection and fell into the path of substitute Henderson Dias inside the box, who finished clinically to make it 3-3 much to the delight of Kalina fans. The match eventually ended in a thrilling draw.

Despite having five points each, the draw moved Mumbay to second spot in the table with 3 games done, while Kalina Rangers moved to fifth after 4 games, as the competition for the championship heats up.

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