Mumbai/Pune: Skipper Abhishek Yadav led from the front as a spirited Mumbai FC (MFC) posted their second successive win in the ONGC I-League football championship by upsetting formidable JCT Phagwara 2-0 in a seventh round match at the Cooperage in Mumbai Sunday.

Yadav set up the first goal for Mumbai FC with Bashiru Abbas finding the target in the 63rd minute and then converted a penalty in the 81st minute to round off the tally. The visitors, who dominated the first-half, had none but themselves to blame for their loss as they squandered two easy opportunities in the early minutes of the match.

Kamaljeet Kumar saved the day for the hosts in the 12th minute when Mumbai FC custodian Lihaz Koya was fumbling with the ball during a JCT attack. Soon after Koya failed to collect a Baljit Sahni’s shot from the right flank again, but fortunately Pawan Kumar’s hit went over the goalpost.

Finding themselves on the backfoot, the hosts brought in Alex Ambrose for Nelson Cardoz in the 36th minute.

However, Mumbai FC were altogether a different side in the second-half.

A free-kick by Noel Wilson was chested down by Abhishek Yadav towards Bashiru who left footed it into the target from inside the box.

A penalty was awarded to the hosts after local boy Dane Pereira was brought down by Gurwinder Singh inside the box. Yadav, not one to miss such opportunities, easily beat the goalkeeper.

Both teams have nine points from seven matches.

Meanwhile,

The Pune outfit, who took the lead in the 66th minute via Shanmugam Venkatesh, thus squandered the chance to register their first win in the ongoing league. After the draw, Lajong are on 8 points from seven matches, while Pune FC have 7 from six matches.

(PTI)