Mike Okoro’s outstanding show helped Mohammedan Sporting record their first win in the I-League as they edged past Mahindra United 1-0 at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Friday. Okoro netted the winner in the 74th minute after a brilliant run, outsmarting his marker NP Pradeep, to meet a Jyothi Kumar lob inside the box and chipping the ball over the head of goalkeeper Subhashis Roy Chowdhury. The visitors began on an aggressive note and came close to scoring in the seventh minute, as Steven Dias’s shot off a Douhou Pierre floater went wide. Edeh Chidi wasted another chance in the 20th minute, sending a header set up by Dias off the mark.Mohammedan Sporting were struggling to find their footing at the start, but clawed their way back in last 20 minutes, thanks to a super show by Okoro. With strike partner Theodore Sunday absent, the onus was on Okoro to make things happen, and he rose to the occasion. His deft touches, splendid close control and incisive passing proved too much for the Mumbai outfit that has some top national team players. In Margao, Junior Obagbemiro’s first half strike ended Mumbai FC unbeaten run. Junior scored in the 18th minute to give hosts Sporting Clube de Goa a 1-0 win. Sporting remained top with 12 points from five matches, while Mumbai FC remained on nine from four matches.
