Koko’s last-minute equalizer netted in controversial manner
TEAM HERALD
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MAPUSA: Dempo came from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Mumbai Football Club in a Round 19 of I-League at Duler Stadium, here, Saturday. Mumbai were 1-0 at half time.
| NEVER TOO LATE: Dempo’s Koko Sakibo in the process of scoring a late equalizer against Mumbai FC in a Round 19 of I-League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, Saturday. |
Dempo’s goals came in the last five minutes with the equalizer being scored in dramatic circumstances followed by a red card to Clifford Miranda.
Dempo coach Armando Colaco started with Joaquim Abranches and Ryuji Sueoka upfront after the Japanese returned from injury while Nigerian striker Koko Sakibo was benched following a hamstring problem. Captain Clifford Miranda was back in the starting line-up as he recovered following his injury.
ND Opara partnered Gabriel Fernandes in the striking role for Mumbai while Ghanaian Yusif Yakubu play behind the two attackers.
The reigning champions started brightly in front of a sell-out crowd. They threatened the rival goal in the second minute after Anthony Pereira set up Abranches in the danger zone but Mumbai goalkeeper Luis Barreto collected it.
At the other end, the visitors settled quickly and Subhas Charaborty essayed a good through ball to Opara, whose powerful strike sailed over the crossbar in the seventh minute.
In the next minute, Abranches thought he had given his side the lead after heading in Valeriano Rebello’s clever chip over Mumbai’s Abhishek Yadav until the assistant pulled him for off-side.
Dempo were very unimpressive in the first 30 minutes when they survived the rivals’ onslaught after Gabriel’s 16th minute grounder and Opara’s 21st minute close ranger went inches wide.
In the 28th minute, Dempo replaced midfielder Godwin Franco with Peter Carvalho. They came close to scoring but Valeriano’s powerful grounder was parried away by the rival custodian in the 34th minute.
Mumbai surged ahead in the 40th minute through a set-piece after Clifford brought down Subhas at the edge of the box. Nicholas Rodrigues’ powerful free-kick hit the horizontal and the upright and fell in the path of Evans Quao, who tapped in from close range.
Just before the lemon break, Valeriano sent a perfect cross to Abranches, whose powerful header was blocked by Abhishek.
In the second session, Dempo tried hard to get back into the game and Clifford’s header went inches wide off a cross from Valeriano in the 47th minute.
Subsequently, Clifford’s in-swinging corner kick was headed over by Cresson Antao in the 54th minute.
Clifford was booked by referee A Rowan in the 62nd minute for his challenge on Yakubu.
Five minutes later, Mumbai doubled their lead after Opara unleashed a curling shot from the top of the box that beat Dempo goalkeeper Subhashish Roy Chowdhury.
Armando quickly replaced Sueoka with John de Manyongar and the latter changed the pace with his quick passes.
Dempo went all out in the final quarter but missed sharpness upfront. They made their final substitution bringing in Koko Sakibo in place of Climax Lawrence in the 78th minute.
Three minutes later, Mumbai substitute James Singh was yellow carded. It so happened that two balls were on the ground and James had kicked one ball out but the referee blundered as he failed to get it right.
Dempo pulled one back in the 86th minute after Carvalho headed in a cross from Anthony Pereira.
In the next minute, Mumbai were down to ten-man after James received his second booking followed by a red card for holding Koko.
Dempo exerted pressure on their rivals and in the 89th minute equalized in controversial circumstances.
Mumbai’s Yakubu sent the ball out of play as a sporting gesture as his teammate had fallen down. Mumbai were expecting Dempo to reciprocate following the throw-in so as to inject some Fair Play and give the ball back to Mumbai but Clifford’s throw-in found John, who sent a low cross to Koko inside the six-yard box to slot past Luis.
The Mumbai defence line was totally caught off-guard as Koko made the most of the opportunity. This led to protests led by Abhishek Yadav and the two teams got into a scuffle with even bouncers being on the pitch so as to separate the sides. Abhishek and Clifford were engaged in a heated argument. A bouncer pushed Clifford towards Abhishek which only added fuel to the fire.
The referee then yellow carded Abhishek and Clifford and the latter was sent off following due to his second booking.
Mumbai coach Khalid Jamil’s dream to clinch three points against Armando Colaco, whom he admires, was shattered. “I thought we were getting three points after leading 2-0. My dream was to collect three points against Colaco. This is football and anything can happen,” said Jamil.
Asked about Dempo’s somewhat controversial equalizer, Jamil said, “We expected Dempo to show some amount of accommodation for Fair Play as one of our players had fallen and the ball was sent out of play by our own player, but Dempo carried on. Then James’ red card also made a big difference in the game”.
Armando Colaco was satisfied after salvaging a second consecutive draw in the dying minutes. “We forgot to play football in the first half. I’m happy that my substitutions worked out well in the second half and that changed the pace of the game,” said the former National coach.
Speaking on the somewhat controversial equalizer, Armando said, “A Mumbai player who fell down, got up subsequently and as such play continued, even as Yakubu sent the ball out of play. There was no hold up and as such we continued and scored a very fair goal.”
Dempo are third in the standings with 35 points from 18 matches while Mumbai are in the sixth spot with 26 points having played 18 matches.
Abhishek Yadav was declared Most Valuable Player.
