Mumbai, Goa play out goalless draw in ISL

NAVI MUMBAI: Mumbai City FC and FC Goa played out an action-packed goalless draw in the Hero Indian Super League clash after both the teams failed to score on many occasions at the DY Patil Stadium here today.

The two teams had also been locked in a goalless stalemate in the first-leg encounter in Goa on November 9.

The drawn game kept Mumbai in fifth spot in the table with 12 points while the visitors too remained in seventh spot with 9 points, two better than bottom-placed Delhi Dynamos.

Incidentally this was also Mumbai's third successive goalless draw in the league.

In a fast-paced opening half, Mumbai dominated play through the major portion of the first half with French ace Anelka spelling constant danger up front after some lovely work in midfield by two other foreigners in the team - Brazilian Andre Moritz and Czech Jan Stohanzl.

But they lacked sufficient support from the likes of Subash Singh, who wasted a few gilt-edged chances, and Lalrindika Ralte.

Goa came into the picture late in the second half after an initial foray. The latter half saw both teams having an almost equal share of exchanges.

The opening salvo was fired in the fourth minute by the visiting team when Mandar Dessai shot over the crosspiece from the left after using Brazilian midfield mate Andre Santos to run into the penalty box.

But thereafter the Goa team's players were left chasing their rivals. In the sixth minute Anelka volleyed the ball over on the run after outrunning his marker and compatriot Gregory Arnolin.

Six minutes later the home team got its first corner award which went waste as Czech defender Pavel Cmovs left footed on the turn wide of the post.

A dangerous run from their own half by Stohanzl after outsprinting three rival players also went fruitless in the 18th minute as his minus pass from the byline found no takers.

Soon afterwards Subash Singh blasted wide a shot after being fed superbly by Moritz.