Delhi Dynamos substitute Robin Singh struck deep into injury time to salvage a draw for his side against Nicolas Anelka’s Mumbai City FC in Match 31 of the Indian Super League.
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After a timid opening 45 minutes in which neither side created any clear chances in front of goal, the second half saw the Delhi Dynamos dominate possession against a Mumbai side that chose to play on the counter.
Mumbai City FC broke the deadlock in the 70th minute after a glorious Benachour through ball released French striker Frederic Piquionne, who rounded the goalkeeper and slotted his shot into an empty net from an acute angle.
After attacking relentlessly for the final 20 minutes of the match, the Dynamos finally restored parity in the 94th minute as substitute striker Robin Singh smashed home a left footed half volley into the bottom corner after Mumbai failed to clear their lines following a corner.
The 1-1 draw between the two sides saw the Delhi Dynamos cement their hold on second place in the league while Mumbai climbed to 4th position in the table.
Roberto Carlos Hails Dynamos Resolve
Speaking to the media after the match, Delhi Dynamos manager Roberto Carlos hailed his side’s fighting spirit and never say die attitude following a late equalizer against Mumbai.
“Today would have been the worst defeat of my life if we had ended up losing the match,” said Carlos. “We had more possession and created more chances throughout the match.”
“The team’s performance and fighting spirit makes me very happy”
With 7 goals scored, the Delhi Dynamos are the lowest scorers in the tournament. Asked if the lack of goals was problem for his side, Carlos replied, “As a team, we always want to score goals. We just have to be patient. We still have 14 points and are second in the league. Our aim is to finish first and thats all that matters.”
Asked if his team was over reliant on the creative spark provided by French International Florent Malouda, Carlos remarked, “Malouda is a great player. He has played every minute of every game so far. My only worry is that he is getting tired”.
Anelka rues missed opportunity
A pensive looking Nicolas Anelka was left disappointed by the late equalizer conceded by his Mumbai side against the Dynamos. While addressing the media, Anelka said, “We came here to win. To concede in the last minute of the match is a big disappointment.”
“However, it is a part of the game. We have to accept it and move on,” the former French International added.
Asked about his side’s defensive tactics in the match, Anelka remarked, “I dont think we were defensive. It was a tactical decision to play on the counter attack and thats how we scored our goal.”
“I am not happy with a draw. It is sad for me. It is sad for my team. But we have to keep going. It was not easy to create chances against this Delhi side.”
When asked about the possibility of him getting more gametime on the pitch in the near future, Anelka revealed, “You will expect to see a lot more of me in the next couple of games. I am currently working on my fitness and hope to play soon.”
Asked about Assistant manager Oscar Bruzon’s absence in the Mumbai City dugout during the match, Anelka said, “There is no particular reason why Oscar was missing today”.
FULL-TIME: Robin Singh’s last minute equaliser denies us our first away win. We move up to 4th. #MumbaiMeriJaan pic.twitter.com/FxOiCd0l5r
a Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) November 6, 2015