Mumbai: 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 DY 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.
But the superb combination up front that was exhibited in their last three games was also missing a bit due to this change.
The hosts, bidding for their fourth straight win and a place at the top of the league table, almost scored in the fourth minute when Sony Norde curled a corner kick towards the goal that was kept away by Kolkata goalkeeper Amrinder Singh.
Four minutes later a brilliant move orchestrated by Sunil Chhetri and Anelka saw Mumbai medio Juan Aguilera in possession of the ball. The Spaniard chipped the ball above a host of defenders into the six yard box with Anelka darting forward, but an agile Amrinder staved off danger for Kolkata with a timely rush to block the former France international.
Atletico slowly found their feet with captain and midfielder Borja Fernandes orchestrating the moves.
They got a good chance to score in the 12th minute when midfielder Sameehg Doutie chipped into the box but a diving Jewel Raja could only head it wide of the left post.
A prolonged period of midfield battle ensued with the occasional foray deep and suddenly 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 all ends up.
It was the Canadian striker's first goal of the season and Atletico's first after three games and only the second goal conceded by Mumbai in their last four games beginning with the 2-0 win over Delhi Dynamos.
Stung by the reverse Mumbai attacked with vigour and a good move by Anelka and Norde saw the Haitian beat his way past a host of defenders only to shoot slightly wide of the post.
At the other end Atletico got a penalty just before half time when Subash Singh needlessly brought Gavilan down inside the box and Hume easily beat Paul to put the visitors 2-0 up before the breather.
The home team made three substitutions at halftime to beef up the attack by replacing Subash, Darren O'Dea and Frantz Bertin with Rowilson Rodrigues, Selim Benachour and Frederic Piquionne.
Egged on by the best crowd so far at this venue this season, Anelka took centre stage in attack flanked by his French compatriot Piquionne and India captain Chhetri.
A wave of raids on Atletico half could not break the latter's defense. A golden chance came when a quick passing bout between Benachour and Aguilera resulted in the latter laying a pass to the right but Amrinder brought off a fine reflex save to deny Piquionne's on-the-turn shot.
A minute later Hume struck the cross bar at the other end with an on the run right footed shot following a grand chip by Gavilan to the top of the box from the left that he controlled with his right foot before moving forward to take the shot.
But 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.
A lovely high ball into the area from Piquionne saw Chhetri shoot towards the goal which was blocked by Amrinder but the rebound was slotted into the far corner by Benachour from a tight angle on the right.
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 to get around the last defender Ashutosh Mehta and beat Paul with a low shot.
And after Chhetri headed over the bar off a right cross at the other end, Mehta again fumbled to allow Hume receive a cross from Doutie and score to make it 4-1 in the visitors' favour.
In the process, Hume also registered the second hat-trick at this venue in as many games. Chhetri had done it during the 5-1 rout of North East United on October 28.
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