ISL: Anelka scores winner as Mumbai City FC edge Delhi Dynamos in cagey affair

Mumbai: Nicolas Anelka’s calm finish meant Mumbai City FC earned bragging rights against Delhi Dynamos after the two teams from the most populous metros in India clashed for the first time in the Indian Super League. Mumbai City’s Subhash Singh touched the ball past his challenger, beat him with raw pace and laid on a perfect low ball for Anelka to finish first-time on the bounce — a goal which finally brought to life a match which saw one of the most drab first halves of the ISL so far. Delhi Dynamos introduced Alessandro del Piero immediately after the goal and he was part of a number of build-ups as the visitors went in the search of an equaliser. Del Piero caused chaos in the box with a corner and a freekick and milked the crowd with a lovely 360 turn — but he couldn’t finish with his head from point-blank range in the 90th minute as his team succumbed to a second straight defeat. [caption id=“attachment_1789683” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Anelka scores to give Mumbai City the lead. ISL[/caption] Mumbai were partly at fault for allowing Delhi to stay in the match till the last minute — spurning a hat-full of chances as Harm Van Veldhoven’s team were stretched in the final quarter at the DY Patil stadium. Subhash was the biggest recipient of all these chances. First, he hit his effort straight in to a defender from a short Moritz pass after intricate work in the box. Moments later, he decided to go on a run down the right channel when Anelka was in acres of space in the middle. Squeezed between these two chances was a Moritz effort in the 81st minute — which he dragged wide with his favourite left foot. Subhash had yet another chance at the death after an Anelka pass, but the Indian forward found goalkeeper Kristof Van Hout with his finesse shot. They could even have taken the lead earlier when Anelka was put through on goal by Moritz in the first half — a chance which the Frenchman missed — along with losing out in a sprint with goalkeeper Van Hout in the 89th minute. At the other end, Delhi’s Mads Junker had no reason to be disappointed with service — right winger Steven Dias sent in some delightful crosses but the tall Danish striker couldn’t reach most of them. The only time he did manage to judge the delivery better than the rock-solid Subrata Paul was in the 34th minute but the attempt went over. If the second half saw a flurry of chances, then the first 45 minutes couldn’t have been more contrasting. The match was teetering on the edge of boring — with both teams showing no intent to attack until the 15th minute when Anelka ran onto a hopeful Lalrindika Ralte lobbed through ball which Van Hout gathered with ease. Jan Stohanzl and Ralte both had shots in the next 10 minutes, but they were optimistic efforts at most. The visitors were at fault too — happy to sit and pass the ball around in the middle, with only the mercurial Gustavo dos Santos showing any drive to get past a crowded midfield. With Del Piero starting on the bench, Dos Santos was given the freedom to roam in midfield and the 18-year-old trickster showed an uncanny combination of skill and strength to make a couple of dangerous runs through the middle — but lacked the finish or the final pass. Mumbai manager Peter Reid was left fuming at the touchline as he saw his team give away the ball in the final third — failing to make any real forays in danger areas. His reaction must have rubbed off on the players as Mumbai finished the half stronger and came out all guns blazing in the second and move to third in the table after six games.