Canadian striker Ian Hume made light of a bandaged head to score a fine hat-trick and help defending champions Atletico de Kolkata drub Mumbai City FC 4-1 in a fast-paced Indian Super league football match at the D Y Patil Stadium, here on Sunday.
Hume, who was injured in the previous game against Delhi Dynamos at home, exhibited superb anticipation and opportunism to apply finishing touches to the passes that came his way in the 34th and 81st minutes and in between also slotted in a penalty kick just before half time to star in the match and help Atletico return to winning ways after three consecutive defeats.
The other goal for Kolkata, who took a 2-0 lead at half time, was scored by defender Augustine Fernandes in the 76th minute.
Mumbai, on a high going into the game after three successive wins at home, got their only goal of the match in the 71st minute through second half substitute Selim Benachour who has returned to play after having gone back to France to attend his father’s funeral rites.
The victory, Atletico’s first after three straight losses, boosted their points tally to 10 but they remained in sixth spot tied on points with fourth-placed Mumbai and fifth-placed Chennayin FC, due to an inferior goal difference.
Mumbai’s marquee player-cum-coach Nicolas Anelka decided to have his first start since the tournament’s commencement and his very presence up front galvanized his team, at least initially.
Against the run of play Atletico found the target in the 34th minute.
Gavilan Martinez, who was doing all the hard work in midfield, floated a perfect ball from the left of the field to an unmarked Hume who sprinted forward and scored with a right-footed low volley to the far corner, beating Mumbai custodian Subrata Paul.
Just before half time Atletico got a penalty when Subash Singh needlessly brought Gavilan down inside the box and Hume easily beat Paul to put the visitors 2-0 up.
The charged-up Mumbai, with the 25,000-strong crowd rooting for them, could not be denied for long and breached the Kolkata defense for the first time in the 71st minute through Benachour.
But two goals in the space of five minutes, partly due to sloppy defending by Mumbai’s Ashutosh Mehta, sealed their fate.
Defender Augustine Fernandes was allowed a free run from just inside their half by Mumbai and he played a one-two with Doutie and scored with a low shot.
Mehta again fumbled to allow Hume receive a cross from Doutie and score to make it 4-1 in the visitors’ favour.
Phelan appointed as Kerala coach
Kerala Blasters on Sunday appointed their grassroots programme Technical Director and former Ireland international Terrence Phelan as the head coach in place of Peter Taylor who was sacked after a string of poor performances by the team.
48-year-old Phelan, played professional footballer as a left back from 1984 to 2009. He played in the English Premier league for Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton, as well as in the Football league for leeds United, Swansea City, Wimbledon, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Sheffield United. He also made 42 appearances for the Irish national team.