Mumbai, March 1: NorthEast United FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Mumbai City FC in an evenly contested Indian Super League (ISL 12) encounter at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday evening.
Jithin MS put the Highlanders ahead shortly after the restart, but Mumbai skipper Lallianzuala Chhangte struck late to ensure the spoils were shared. The result marked NorthEast’s second successive 1-1 draw away from home, following last week’s stalemate against Bengaluru FC.
Head coach Juan Pedro Benali handed maiden ISL starts to Lalrinzuala and Danny Laishram, with Lalrinzuala leading the line. The opening exchanges, however, belonged to the hosts. Gurmeet Singh was called into action early, doing well to push away a long-range attempt from Chhangte.
As the first half progressed, NorthEast gradually found their footing. Mayakkannan and Andy Rodriguez began to assert control in midfield, helping the visitors settle into a steady rhythm. Around the 35-minute mark, Parthib Gogoi whipped in a dangerous cross that evaded Lalrinzuala and struck Valpuia, who nearly diverted it into his own net. The scare, though, did not change the scoreline as both sides went into the interval locked at 0-0.
The Highlanders emerged with greater intent after the break. Their persistence paid off when a well-delivered free-kick from Rodriguez caused confusion inside the Mumbai box. The ball deflected off Lalrinzuala and fell kindly for Jithin, who reacted swiftly to finish from close range and hand the visitors the lead.Benali introduced Macarton Nickson soon after in a bid to press home the advantage. (Agencies)
