Mumbai champions Mahindra United crushed Goa's Vasco Sports Club 3-0 at the Cooperage, in Mumbai, on Monday, to climb up the table in the National Football League.
They led 2-0 at the breather.
The hosts outplayed their rivals in all departments of the game and managed to win handsomely despite going on the defensive in the second half.
Following the victory, Mahindra have 16 points from nine matches while Vasco have nine.
Mahindra forged ahead from a self goal in the 14th minute. Mid-fielder Jules Dias Alberto and winger S Venkatesh made in-roads in tandem before the former shot at goal. Venkatesh moved in the opposite direction to distract the Vasco defence. Vasco defender Vinu Jose panicked while trying to clear the ball and shot into his own goal to give Mahindra United the lead.
Earlier, in the eighth minute, Mahindra medio Rauf Khan, who had a poor match, shot over from top of the circle following a flag-kick.
In the 17th minute, Venkatesh increased the lead when he booted home Alberto's header on second attempt.
Vasco got just one opportunity to score in the first half but their winger Edson Tadeu's try off a Marcos Pereira cross was well collected by Mahindra custodian Kalyan Chaubey, who had a good outing today.
The hosts, who had a two-goal cushion, surprisingly went on the defensive after the break thereby easing the pressure they had on their rivals in the first half.
Soon after half-time, Vasco striker Marcos Pereira and winger Angelo Gomes, who were given free elbow space with the hosts opting to defend the two-goal lead, tried to score in quick succession but the plucky Chaubey rose to the occasion with two good saves.
In the 65th minute, Mahindra's Alberto shot over from close range and five minutes later winger Raphael Patron Akakpo beat a couple of Vasco defenders and their custodian Rogerio Ramos but failed to control the ball.
Two minutes into the injury time, substitute Abhishek Yadav, who came in place of striker Steven Dias in the 86th minute, scored off a Venkatesh pass to make it 3-0 and round-off a good victory.
The hosts made two more changes apart from bringing in Yadav. Kasif Jamal was substituted for Akakpo (81st minute) and Arun Malhotra for medio Jinto Jose (80th minute) while the
home team's defender Odartey Lawson became the only player from either team to be given a yellow (88th minute) card for rough play.
Vasco too made three substitutions, bringing in Thomas D'Cruz for defender Vinu Jose (30th minute), Anthony Fernandes for defender John Dias (60th minute) and Gregory Clark for Gomes in the 65th minute.