MUMBAI, Oct 7: Mumbai City FC beat NorthEast United FC 1-0 in front of over 6,000 fans at the Mumbai Football Arena on Friday. It was their first game in their new home for the third edition of the Hero Indian Super League and they capped it off in style with a Diego Forlan penalty early in the second half.
Both sides cancelled each other out in the opening exchanges with the first attempt on goal coming in the 11th minute of the game courtesy of a NorthEast free-kick that Romaric put just wide of goal. Matias Defederico had Mumbai�s first shot at goal two minutes later but his effort from distance failed to test Subrata Paul in the Highlanders goal.
Romaric forced Mumbai�s shot-stopper Roberto Volpato into the first save of the game shortly after with a stinging volley from the edge of the 18-yard box. Paul made his first save for the visitors in the 19th minute after Aiborlang Khongjee unleashed a powerful shot from distance that was creeping into the Indian keeper�s far post.
Romaric had another go at goal in the 21st minute with a first-time volley from range, which Volpato saved comfortably. The Highlanders came close to making the breakthrough in the 34th minute after a quick counter put Emiliano Alfaro in a goal-scoring position. Sehnaj Singh, however, raced back at full tilt to put in a last-ditch tackle on Alfaro to deny the Uruguayan.
The best chances of the half came in the last five minutes with Nicolas Velez threading in delightful passes for Katsumi Yusa first and then Alfaro. Yusa blazed his shot over the crossbar in a one-on-one situation, while Alfaro�s goal-bound effort took a deflection off Lucian Goian and went behind for a corner as the sides went in at the break level-pegging with the score at 0-0.
The hosts began the second period on the front foot with Defederico creating some room for himself inside NorthEast�s penalty area before dragging a left-footed attempt on goal narrowly wide of the target in the 50th minute.
Mumbai took the lead five minutes later from the penalty spot after Reagan Singh fouled Pronay Halder in the box. The home side�s marquee man Forlan stepped up to the spot and smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 for Mumbai. � Agencies
