Robin Singh steals injury-time draw for Dynamos

Local boy Robin Singh’s sensational injury-time goal saved Delhi Dynamos’ the blushes as the hosts drew Mumbai City FC 1-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Friday. Dynamos might not have been able to avenge their defeat to Mumbai in an away match, but managed to earn its second draw in a row and remain undefeated at home this season. The draw helped Dynamos gather 14 points from eight matches and go past Pune FC to reclaim second spot.

Seminlen Doungel of Delhi Daynamos and Mumbai City FC's Sunil Chhetri (in blue) vie for the ball during their ISL match in New Delhi on Friday.

Local boy Robin Singh’s sensational injury-time goal saved Delhi Dynamos’ the blushes as the hosts drew Mumbai City FC 1-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Friday.

Dynamos might not have been able to avenge their defeat to Mumbai in an away match, but managed to earn its second draw in a row and remain undefeated at home this season.

The draw helped Dynamos gather 14 points from eight matches and go past Pune FC to reclaim second spot.

Dynamos showed better ball control and crafted more attacking moves to keep Mumbai defenders, including Frantz Bertin, Darren O’Dea and Lalchummawia Fanai, on their toes in the first half. Florent Malouda and Adil Nabi, coming into the starting XI after a gap, worked hard on the left, while Souvik Chakraborti stayed busy on the opposite flank.

But the home side failed to translate these efforts into goals.

In the sixth minute, Hans Mulder’s sent across a pass to Souvik and the latter supplied a floater to Nabi in the box. However, the Englishman failed to manufacture a chance.

Around the 20th minute, Nabi did well to get away from Bertin and squared it for Souvik. However, the Indian’s left-footer sailed over the crossbar.

Mumbai primarily banked on Sony Norde and Frederic Piquionne to answer back. Bertin’s shot off a Norde corner kick was blocked in the 17th minute, while the Haitian’s shot following an exchange of passes with his French mate missed the target seven minutes later.

Mumbai wasted another chance in the closing minutes of the first period when Dynamos’ Anas Edathodika brilliantly dived to head away the ball from Sunil Chhetri’s grasp.

Dynamos maintained the pressure early in the second half but could not taste success. Malouda’s freekick from the right hit the crossbar and John Riise’s header went off target in the 54th minute.

A resolute Mumbai fought valiantly and took the lead in the 70th minute. Piquionne pounced on a beautiful through ball from Selim Benachour and beat Antonio Doblas, who otherwise had a good time under the bar, before rolling it in from the right.

Dynamos pressed on to bag a few opportunities, before Robin, who was introduced in the 69th minute, found the mark off a ball that originated from Malouda’s freekick in the dying minutes.

The result: Delhi Dynamos 1 (Robin Singh 90+4) drew with Mumbai City FC 1 (Frederic Piquionne 70).