Back into the side after missing three matches to injury, Deshorn Brown made a sensational return for NorthEast United with a hat-trick that carved out a 3-3 draw against leaders Mumbai City FC in their last Indian Super League encounter of the year in Fatorda on Monday.
The share of honours did not change the teams' position on the table with Mumbai City staying put on top spot with 16 points riding a brace from Igor Angulo, who became the season's top-scorer so far, and the Highlanders remaining on ninth with eight points. But earning a point after being 1-3 behind in the 55th minute would give confidence to Khalid Jamil's injury-hit squad and joy to their wary fans.
Des Buckingham's side looked eager to put the horrors of their loss in the last match behind and only had a stunning reflex save from custodian Mirshad Michu to prevent Ygor Catatau from heading in a Ahmed Jahouh free-kick in the second minute. But NEUFC were more intent on keeping their double record against the defending champions from last season and began to catch them unaware in transition play.
And Brown showed what the team had been missing in his absence when he beat the Mumbai defenders with his pace to receive a diagonal long cross from Imran Khan with the first touch and shot it past an advancing Mohammed Nawas with the second to open NEUFC's scoreboard at PNJ Stadium.
However, it took the table-toppers just four minutes to get back into the match with Jamil's men conceding yet another soft goal. Their defenders were caught napping after the drinks break when Bipin Singh's pass from the left reached an unmarked Angulo inside the box. The Spaniard only had to guide it past Michu for the equaliser.
Mumbai City's quick answer stunned the Highlanders and the flummoxed hosts lost their defensive shape. In the 40th minute, NEUFC lost the ball in midfield and with the centre-backs nowhere in sight, it was time for Angulo to return the favour and turn provider to Bipin for their second goal. The Indian winger made no mistake in turning the ball into the near post.
While Jamil substituted his best Indian striker VP Suhair at the change of ends for the fresh legs of Roccharzela to up the ante in search of an equaliser, Mumbai City were in no mood to change their tempo in attack. And they were rewarded again in the 52nd minute as the prolific Angulo scripted his seventh goal of the season with a successful assist from Catatau.
NEUFC, however, were not ready to let go of a point from the tie and kept up their counter-attacks in quest for another breakthrough. And it came almost identically to the first as the Jamaican latched on to a cross from Mathias Coureur and beat a charging Mehtab Singh with his sheer strength to turn the ball into the net in the 56th minute.
Brown's hat-trick came in the 80th minute when a charging and out-of-position Nawaz and a header from Amey Ranawade failed to clear the ball which landed on to the feet of the Jamaican inside the box and he sent it past the keeper into the far end of the goal.
There was end-to-end action towards the end of the match with Coureur and Angulo both missing the net, a yellow card, some goalmouth medley, except for a goal to decide the winners.
