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Kalu Unche and Alfaro scored two each as Delhi Dynamos and FC Pune City shared the spoils in Friday's ISL encounter. The visitors looked out of sorts and paid the price for taking the foot off the pedal.
Delhi, on the other hand, made the most of their opportunities and ended the season on a high with a well-earned draw against a strong Pune outfit. Here are the major talking points from the clash.
#1 Empty stadium a cause for concern
Not for the first time this season, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi cut a deserted figure as the players slugged it out for more than 90 minutes. No amount of banners could hide the unusually large number of empty seats.
There's no doubt that the ISL has improved in terms of the standard of football that's played week in week out. But the fact remains that numerous clubs continue to struggle to attract crowds to the stadium and this is no doubt a cause for concern.
It's no hidden fact that majority of the cities are still finding their feet in their attempt to build a footballing culture. Tonight, a handful of fans in the hundreds made their presence felt and tried their best to breathe life into what looked like a lifeless atmosphere.
#2 Referee adamant on being the centre of attention
The Indian referees have come under the scanner for their sub-par performances throughout the season. Tonight, it was a foreign official who was guilty of being far too excited in his attempt to involve himself in the match.
He first awarded a soft spot kick to Delhi when Ashique Kuruniyan tripped Lallianzuala Chhangte inside the box. Replays showed that the Dynamos winger made the most of it and went down far too easily.
If that wasn't enough, in an attempt to correct things, he awarded Pune a penalty three minutes later. This one was even softer. Simranjeet Singh vied with Rafael Lopez for a header and a slight nudge instantly resulted in the referee pointing to the spot. Both penalties were scored but had it been a high-pressure match, the referee would have been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism.
#3 Nandhakumar Sekar one for the future
In Nandhakumar Sekar, Delhi Dynamos have an extremely talented winger in their ranks. A player who isn't afraid to take on his marker, someone who is never flustered when harried. During the match, he once again displayed glimpses of his talent down the left wing.
On one such occasion, Sekar skipped past three Pune players before playing a clever ball across the other end of the pitch. He may not be the quickest but the 23-year-old is deceptive and has the uncanny ability to create something out of nothing.
If he can continue to be consistent, a call-up to the national side may not be far-fetched. India coach, Constantine loves handing debuts and Nandhakumar could be next. He has all the attributes of a modern day winger. He even got an assist to his name tonight, his fourth of the season.
#4 Kalu Uche the one-man show for Delhi
Consider this - seven of the top eight goal scorers right now belong to a club who are currently in the top four in the points table. Kalu Uche happens to be the odd one out, playing for a bottom-placed side. He scored two tonight and took his tally to 13 goals this season.
Nothing about his performances have been odd though despite the fact that his side languishes third from bottom on the points table. The Nigerian has been deadly in front of goal, taking his chances every time he gets them.
He struggled to get going initially but when he began to find his grove, there was no stopping him. Being among the top three goal scorers in the league, he ends his season only one behind Miku, who happens to play for the best team in the league - Bengaluru FC. It speaks volumes about Uche's ability to grind it out despite the fact that Delhi Dynamos have been poor.
#5 Pune take the foot off the pedal and pay the price
At this stage of the tournament, momentum breeds confidence. Pune are among the three teams who have already qualified for the playoffs. The difference between them and Bengaluru FC thoroughly came to the fore.
While BFC dug deep and registered a 2-0 victory over Kerala, Pune looked sluggish and were lucky to pick up a point against Delhi. On the surface, this hiccup will be forgotten but Pune coach, Popovic will be hoping his side don't slide further.
A dominating win could have done wonders for their morale as they enter the business end of the ISL. Instead, they will enter it on the back an average performance they very well could have avoided. They came out second best in all departments, something that will not serve them well in the days ahead.
