Mohammedan hold Bagan 0-0
SHILLONG: There were no winners in any of the three I-League games held on Wednesday, but Rangdajied United FC can still celebrate their first goal and their first I-League point outside Shillong after drawing with Mumbai FC 1-1 in Pune.
Struggling Dempo were also able to hold Pune FC to a 1-1 draw in Mapusa, Goa.
In the final match of the day, Mohammedan Sporting and Mohun Bagan played out a goalless draw in Kolkata.
Thanks to the one point, Rangdajied again move to 12th place in the table, but may lose that spot after the Churchill Brothers-Sporting Clube de Goa match on Thursday.
It was Manandeep Singh who put the Blues ahead in the 32nd minute. David Ngaihte grabbed the ball on the right and fired it in, but the ball came off the post and into Manandeep’s lap.
The recent signing from IMG-R then easily put the ball into the net for the lead.
Rangdajied, however, have not been able to hold onto leads, at least in their last few matches, and Ashutosh Mehta swept in to deliver the equaliser just after an hour’s play.
RUFC fielded new signing Kim Song-Yong, but it was Mumbai’s Afghanistan pair of Hashmatullah Barikzai and Sandjar Ahmadi who had a lot of the action.
Both were involved with the hosts’ goal, although it was Mehta who finally slid the ball in.
Barikzai fired in a shot from the left but Ahmadi was could not reach the ball even with a dive.
Mehta, on the other hand, rushing forward, got the ball past Subrata Paul.
In the other 1-1 draw, Dempo took the lead through Roberto Silva in the 47th minute, but the visitors equalised three minutes later through Mustapha Riga.
The goalless encounter between the two legendary Kolkatan clubs saw both sides being guilty of wasting their chances.
Just when it seemed like both sides would have to settle for a point each, Mohammedan missed a glorious chance to take the lead in second half stoppage time.
Josimar, who came on for Mohammedan as a substitute, moved up the centre of the pitch while battling Aiborlang Khongjee and got the ball to team mate Ajay Singh on the right.
Sprinting forward with a defender to his left and the goalkeeper advancing, Ajay took a shot that just missed the target.