Achille Emana penalty pulls Mumbai over the line against Chennai

The Cameroonian slotted home after Balwant Singh was brought down on the edge of the box but the referee pointed to the spot.

Mumbai City FC ended Chennaiyin FC’s three-game winning run in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 by registering a 1-0 win at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday. Achille Emana scored the only goal of the game for Mumbai from the penalty spot in the 60th minute.

Mumbai looked brighter of the two sides for most of the first half but Chennai had the first opportunity to score in the 7th minute after receiving a free-kick in a dangerous area. Rene Mihelic tried to find the back of the net from the free-kick but his attempt crashed into the wall.

Mumbai responded through some neat work by Gerson Vieira, who put in a good cross into the box but the Chennai goalkeeper was alert to the danger and saved Everton Santos’ header from the cross. The deadlock was almost broken by Chennai near the half-hour mark after Jude Nworuh went on a run down the left flank before producing a superb cross, which Mohammed Rafi failed to get his head to.

Emana set up Rafa Jorda with an incisive pass soon after but the Spaniard was a little too late to release his shot. The last chance of the half though went to the visitors with Thoi Singh swinging in a dangerous cross into the box. Rafi, this time got his head to it, but Amrinder Singh was well placed in goal to make the save.

Rafi had another golden opportunity to give Chennai the lead four minutes into the second period when Mihelic played him in on goal. The Chennaiyin striker – in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper – saw his shot ricochet off Amrinder and go to Thoi, who couldn’t find the back of an empty net.

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They were made to pay by the hosts as they took the lead on the hour-mark. Mumbai were awarded a penalty after Balwant Singh was brought down in the box. Emana stepped up to the spot and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0 for the Islanders.

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Rafi had a chance to level the score four minutes later thanks to a beautiful ball from the left by Jerry Lalrinzuala. The Chennaiyin frontman couldn’t keep his header on target this time around to the dismay of his teammates.

Mumbai could have put the game to bed 15 minutes from time after Jorda found himself in a one-on-one situation with Chennai’s goalkeeper Karanjit Singh. The Spaniard tried to chip Karanjit but his effort was wide off the target. Chennai tried to push hard for an equaliser in the closing stages of the match, but Mumbai defended resolutely to see off the threat posed by the southerners for their second win of the season.