A determined Mahindra United wore down their traditional rivals Air India in a 17th round I-League 'local derby' to win by a solitary goal scored late in the day. Their first leg encounter had ended in a 1-1 tie.
The all-important goal was scored by Yakubu Yusif in the 82nd minute to give the 'red devils' their seventh victory and take them to 27 points. It was his fourth goal of the tournament after coming back from a long injury lay off in the previous match.
Mahindras remain in fifth position while the airmen, who crashed to their sixth defeat, are in seventh position with 17 points and still airborne in uncertainty.
It was just one momentary lapse that let to Air-India's crash landing as they had defended stoutly to keep persistent Mahindra from opening their account. The winners had dominated the proceedings but were thwarted by timely tackles by the Air India rearguard.
Yusif, who earned the man-of-the-match award for his decisive intervention, was tightly shackled and could not do much.
On the contrary it was Ivory Coast midfielder Douhou Pierre who was the livewire in the Mahindra attack, laying some excellent through passes and making some probing runs down the left flank.
Hemmed in by defenders in the Air India box, he managed to break free and lay a wide pass for Yusif who kept his nerve and finished clinically, beating Arnab Das Sarma with a deft placement.
Mahindras' holding midfielder Sukhvinder Singh too had a good outing, as he kept intercepting the rival passes and linked defence with attack well. Mahindras faltered in providing the final ball which rendered all their good work to naught.
Air India fought hard and had they taken their chances, the result could have been different. Striker Bashiru Abbas in fact blew two header opportunities from set-piece situations, once in the 43rd minute off a throw in from Uttam Singh and then in the 88th minute from a Napolean Singh free-kick. Air India tried to rely on long ball counters but the Mahindra defence was up to it.
The airmen now need to win their last match away to Churchill Brothers on Feb 23 to stay in the top flight division or hope that three teams below them botch their results in the intereggnum. Mahindras, who play Mohun Bagan last at home, need a win to move up to fourth position.
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