I-League 2017/18: Chennai City FC vs Mohun Bagan, 5 Talking Points

It was an abysmal first half. (Photo: I-League)
It was an abysmal first half. (Photo: I-League)

A nasty collision, a new keeper, a penalty saved

Akram Mograbi missed a crucial penalty. (Photo: I-League)
Akram Mograbi missed a crucial penalty. (Photo: I-League)

As dull and uneventful as the first half here was, the second was anything but.

Chennai City came out with some purpose and began to thread some good moves together. Bagan too were visibly improved. It all came to a head in the 67th minute. A good Bagan move saw an opportunity present itself to Sk. Faiaz in the Chennai City box. The ball was cleared though before he could get to it and Faiaz ended up kneeing Chennai City keeper Uros Poljanec in the head.

It was a nasty blow to the keeper that saw him busted open and the injury was bad enough that he needed to be replaced by a young and inexperienced reserve keeper named Kabir.

His first duty was to defend a corner and he looked anything but confident. He came for the ball, flapped all over it and missed it completely. He then fell on the ground and was sprawling around as the ball fell to Raynier Fernandes whose shot thudded off the underside of the crossbar. A massive reprieve for Chennai City and Kabir.

However, his big moment came a little later. In the 83rd minute Bagan were awarded a penalty for a foul on Dipanda Dicka. But Kabir came up big, diving to his right to keep out Akram Moghrabi's effort and more importantly keep his side in the game.

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