Delhi Dynamos beat FC Goa 1-0 to win the first leg of the Indian Super League semi-final in New Delhi on Friday.
India international Robin Singh scored the winner through a header in the 42nd minute.
Local lad Robin scored in front of 23,000-odd home supporters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to hand Delhi an advantage over Goa in the two-leg semifinals.
The second leg of the first semi-finals will be played at Margao on December 15.
This win broke Delhi's four-match losing streak against Goa in the ISL. They have lost both their league matches in ISL 1 and 2, including the 2-3 defeat this season on December 6.
Delhi's Brazilian attacking midfielder Gustavo Dos Santos was on the money and the home team could have added another three goals in the 2nd half but thankfully for the Goans the scoreline remained unchanged at full-time.
Delhi, who had finished fourth after the league phase, were the dominant side for most part of the match, having far more possession and more shots at the opposition goal.
League phase toppers Goa, coach by legendary Brazillian Zico, surprisingly failed to match up to expectations.
They sat back for a long part of the first session, looking to score on the break only to be denied by a rock solid Delhi backline -- the best among the eight teams this season -- marshalled by John Arne Riise.
The match started on an even keel with both sides looking to settle down and testing each other. Delhi had slightly better possession in the first 15 minutes. But soon they got to a dominant position and had nearly 90 per cent possession in the next 15 minutes and began to threaten at Goa goal.
Former French international and Chelsea star Florent Malouda was in the thick of things, providing assists to his team-mates though he failed to score when he had the chance himself.
In the the 41st minute, he did some neat footwork to get past his marker on the right, and squared the ball towards Dos Santos but the Brazilian could not keep the ball on target.
But in the next minute, India international striker Robin scored the goal which separated the two sides by beating Goa captain and Brazillian 2002 World Cup winner Lucio in an aerial duel.
Robin put the ball into the net by connecting an Anderson Chicao pin-point cross as he nodded a powerful header, before Lucio could reach up to it, past a hapless goalkeeper.
Dos Santos was named the man of the match.
