Mumbai City FC rode on left-back Nathan Rodrigues' strike to hold Chennaiyin FC 1-1 in a thrilling draw in the 1000th match of the Indian Super League in Chennai on Saturday.
Captain Ryan Edwards opened the scoring for Chennaiyin after an hour of gritty play. However their joy was short-lived as Rodrigues levelled the scores three minutes later in the milestone 1,000th contest of the ISL.
Chennaiyin moved from seventh to fourth in the standings with 12 points, while the Islanders remained at eighth spot with 10 points.
The action began with a long-range effort from Yoell van Nieff in the 19th minute, who unleashed a powerful shot that tested CFC goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz, but he narrowly missed the mark.
With the hosts' backline on alert following the visitors' attempt, a minute later, Tiri rose above the Chennaiyin defenders during a corner, sending a powerful header towards goal, resulting in a nearly-close miss.
MCFC continued with their attack intent, as Nikolaos Karelis found an opening inside the box in the 30th minute and moved in quickly to capitalise on a loose ball.
Although his shot troubled the CFC defence, it lacked the accuracy to find the back of the net.
Both teams had to wait until the subsequent half to score their respective goals.
Following the restart after the break, Chennaiyin broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through a set-piece situation, as Connor Shields provided a straightforward cross into the box.
Edwards jumped above the Mumbai defenders and connected a powerful header, perfectly placed into the bottom right corner.
A corner from Van Nieff resulted in Rodrigues positioning and timing his jump perfectly. He connected it with a powerful header as the ball raced into the top right corner to level the scoreline.
Thereon, the two sides gave their all, but despite their best efforts, no team could manage a winner.
9-man East Bengal hold Mohammedan to a goalless draw
East Bengal put on a defensive masterclass despite playing more than an hour with only nine men to hold city rivals Mohammedan Sporting Club for a goalless draw in the ISL in Kolkata on Saturday.
This also ended East Bengal's nightmarish six-match losing streak of the season, opening their account in the 13-team table with one point from seven matches to remain at the bottom.
Debutants Mohammedan Sporting with five points occupied a place off the bottom.
Fresh off making quarter-finals in the AFC Challenge League, East Bengal, who had struggled to in the ISL until now, showed a new-found confidence under their new head coach Oscar Bruzon.
India star defender Anwar Ali showed his true potential, not only as a defender but also as a leader of men. He maintained the cohesion among the backline and kept the dangerous duo of Franca and Loni Manzoki at bay throughout.
The match saw a dramatic first half for East Bengal, who were reduced to nine players after two red cards in quick succession.
The drama unfolded in the 28th minute when Nandhakumar Sekar was shown a red card for violent conduct after swinging his arm at MSC's Amarjit Kiyam Singh.
Just moments later, Mahesh was given a second yellow for showing dissent, leaving EBFC in disarray.
Despite the setbacks, the Bruzon-coached remained compact defensively and managed to keep Mohammedan at bay.
Mohammedan Sporting had the lion's share of possession throughout the match, creating numerous chances, but was unable to break down East Bengal's citadel.
Alexis Gomez and Franca were particularly dangerous, creating opportunities on the left, but each cross was either cleared away or denied by EB goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who produced several key saves.
The second half saw Mohammedan continue their dominance, but East Bengal's defensive line held firm.
Zodingliana Ralte had a chance to open the scoring in the 68th minute but blasted his volley over the bar.
Despite the constant wave of attack from MSC, East Bengal's defence stood resolute with crucial blocks and tackles from Hijazi Maher, Mohammed Rakip, and Lalchungnunga.
In the dying moments of the game, MSC earned a freekick in a dangerous position, but the delivery was cleared by EB's defenders.
