The defending champions actually escaped a loss as Mahindra failed to take advantage of the last half hour of the match when the Goans were down to 10 players following the sending-off of goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya.
Both goals were scored by foreigners, Svetozar Mijin and Dan Ito, on their I-League debut for Mahindra and Churchill respectively.
Mijin pounced on a loose ball inside the box to put Mahindra ahead in the26th minute but the lead lasted just seven minutes as the visitors found the equaliser through Ito who punched in a brilliant cross from Thokchom Naoba Singh from the right.
But Mahindra could have scored a few more easily. Mohammed Rafi had the easiest of chances when the ball continued to roll after Bhattacharya handled it outside the box but lost control. The Kerala youngster, however, chose to appeal instead of latching on to the ball and slotting it into the net. “I was not thinking much,” Rafi admitted later.
There were a couple of opportunities towards the end when Churchill’s reserve custodian Lalit Thapa went out of position while trying to collect the ball but the Mumbai outfit couldn’t take advantage. Then, substitute Thoi Singh’s header went just over the bar. But definitely Mahindra were the superior team.
The only worry for Mahindra could be the fitness of Steven Dias who was taken out of the field on a stretcher on the hour mark, immediately after making a typical cross that was fisted away by Bhattacharya. But coach David Booth said that he just suffered from cramps.
Teams
Churchill Brothers: Rowilson Rodrigues, Felix Chmaokwu, Thokchom Naoba Singh, Ogba Kalu Nnanna, Odafe Okolie, Khan Thang Paite (Lalit Thapa 64’), Reisangmi Vashum, Dan Ito (Nascimento Silveira 75’), Robert Lalthlamuana (Naveen Kumar Sudhakaran 45’), Arindam Bhattacharya.
Mahindra United: Subhashish Chowdhury, NP Pradeep, KN Ajayan, Svetozar Mijin (Bhola Prasad 83’), Mohammed Rafi, Denzil Franco, Ravanan Dharmaraj, Kali Alaudeen Nisthar, Muritala Ali (Thoi Singh 72’), Steven Dias (Paresh Shivalkar 62’), Debabrata Roy.
Referee: Pratap Singh