Kerala Blasters blanks erratic Mumbai City FC

A fantastic individual goal by Sahal Abdul Samad and a brace by Alvaro Vazquez powered Kerala Blasters to a 3-1 win over an erratic Mumbai City FC in the Hero ISL match at Vasco on Wednesday. The win took Blasters to the fourth place in the league with 33 points and kept its semifinal hopes alive, while Mumbai dropped to fifth place with 31 points. The Kochi team kept the Mumbai defence busy. Sahal jinked his way past a couple of Mumbai defenders to score a beautiful goal from the top of the box in the 19th minute. Mumbai’s top-scorer Igor Angulo was not at his best and he was repeatedly caught in the off-side trap by the Blasters defence. Angulo also flunked a good chance to equalise in the 41st minute when he was put in position by an excellent cross from Lallianzuala Chhangte from the right flank. However, Angulo shot straight at goalkeeper Gill. A counter-attack by Blasters saw Alvaro Vazquez enter the Mumbai penalty box but Mumbai skipper Moutada Fall tripped him to concede a penalty. Vazquez sent goalkeeper Nawaz the wrong way to put Blasters ahead in the 47th minute. Blasters’ sustained pressure saw the Mumbai defence crack. A howler by Mumbai goalkeeper Nawaz gifted the second goal to Vazquez.. The goalkeeper miss-kicked a back pass from Moutada Fall and it came straight to Vazquez who scored to put Blasters in command in the 60th minute. Though substitute Diego Mauricio converted a penalty in the 71st minute to pull one back for Mumbai, Blasters managed to hold on to its lead. The result: Kerala Blasters 3 (Sahal Abdul Samad 19, Alvaro Vazquez 47, 60) bt Mumbai City FC 1 (Diego Mauricio 71).