Hume strike powers Blasters past Mumbai

Canadian striker Iain Hume became the hero of Kerala Blasters for the second game running as his lone first-half goal helped the visitors get the better of Mumbai City FC 1-0 in an Indian Super League match here on Sunday.

Hume, playing with a bandage around his head, took advantage of a quickly taken free-kick by team-mate Courage Pekuson of Ghana and sprinted forward to the bewilderment of the entire home side players before coolly slotting the ball past Mumbai custodian Amrinder Singh to the left corner in the 23rd minute of play.

Much as Mumbai protested as even the referee Pranjal Banerjee had not taken his position when the free-kick was taken by Pekuson from well outside the Mumbai penalty area, the goal was allowed to stand much to the chagrin of the home side players and eventually was the match-winner.

The victory enabled Kerala to draw level on points (14 each from ten games) with Mumbai who, however, remained in fifth spot by virtue of a superior goal difference after suffering a second defeat of the season at the Mumbai Football Arena.

Kerala now take on Jamshedpur SC in another away game on January 17 while Mumbai take on second-placed Bengaluru FC at home a day later.