Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
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Delhi FC were in no mood for all the hoo-ha. They were here to be party poopers. So, just seven minutes after providing a guard of honour to the champions, Delhi FC were in the lead as Alisher Kholmurodov headed in Pape Gassama’s corner with full authority to render the stadium into a pin-drop silence. It took a while for Mohammedan Sporting to wake up from their champion’s hangover – Eddie Hernández heading wide from close range before Evgenii Kozlov saw his volley held firmly by keeper Abhishek Calvin.
Until Delhi FC struck their second blow. It’s a dead rubber match, but that doesn’t mean you can’t script your personal moment of glory. Doing exactly that, 18-year-old teenager Gwgwmsar Goyary scored his first-ever goal in the I-League, latching on to Bhupinder Singh’s through ball with an inch-perfect low strike before reeling away in ecstatic celebration.
Mohammedan Sporting will argue they didn’t have their first names in the line-up. There were seven changes from last Saturday’s title-clinching win in Shillong. But this game was more about a hungry Delhi FC side going all out and making a statement. Yes, this was the last game of their first-ever I-League campaign, and they have gone and humbled the champions at their home. Bhupinder Singh added another assist to his name as he cut back for Sergio Barboza to tap into the open net in the 98th minute. With the 3-1 win, Delhi FC finished their debut season in a remarkable sixth place.
The lone Mohammedan Sporting goal – a consolation solely in terms of this match – came with the last kick of the game. Mirjalol Kasimov’s thunderous left-footed strike was too hot for Calvin to handle as it hit his arm and looped over the line.
