Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky was proud of his players as they registered a comeback 2-1 win over title contenders Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their latest Indian Super League clash at the Mumbai Football Arena on Wednesday.
It was an intense battle in Mumbai where the referee dished out seven red cards. Things went out of control after the final whistle was blown.
The match started with Akash Mishra receiving a red card for a rash tackle. Capitalizing on their numeric supremacy it was Jason Cummings, who handed MBSG the lead in the 25th minute and looked the better team in the opening exchanges of the game. However, they stepped their foot off the gas and became more defensive. This allowed Mumbai City to thread more attacks and eventually, Greg Stewart equalized before half-time.
The second half was very feisty and there were tackles flying all around the ground. A rash challenge from Ashish Rai saw him sent off in the 57th minute. Three minutes later, Liston Colaco also received marching orders for dissent.
Ultimately, it was Bipin Singh who scored the winning goal before Greg Stewart was also shown the red card for simulation. The likes of Hector Yuste, Vikram Partap Singh, and Rahul Bheke were also given marching orders for a post-match melee.
Kratky appreciated his team’s self-belief and their ability to adapt under pressure after going down early on. “It was an excellent effort from the group,” Kratky stated in the post-match press conference.
“They dug deep in the game. We are proud of what they (players) did. They had to be calm and be better with and without the ball which they did very well,” he added.
This win helps Mumbai City FC remain unbeaten in the current ISL campaign. This was also the first defeat of the season for the Mariners. Both teams have 19 points but Mumbai have played nine matches while MBSG have a game in hand.
The Islanders will now travel away to face Kerala Blasters on December 24. But they will be without crucial players like Stewart, Bheke, Vikram Partap Singh and Akash Mishra, giving the Tusker a major advantage over them.
However, Kratky feels there are many players on the roster who deserve to make the squad.“The people who are waiting for their chance will get the chance,” Kratky said.
“We have a strong group of players and it will be a good chance for them,” he added.
