Marco Pereira scored off a brilliant free-kick in injury time to help Southern Samity snatch a draw with Bhawanipore FC in a crucial second division I-league final round first leg encounter on the penultimate day at the football stadium here on Thursday.
The crowd was in for a feast earlier as Mumbai Tigers snatched an injury-time victory through a Bikash Jairu header against Mohammedan Sporting. Up until then, both teams had even share of the exchanges without much of goalmouth action.
With this win, Tigers finished with nine points, having won three of the last five encounters.
Bhawanipore FC was all set to pocket three points and continue its position at the top of the table but Pereira’s brilliant effort forced it to share the top spot with Mumbai Tigers.
Marco Barreto had nullified Samity’s Suraj Mondal’s early strike with a 29th-minute equaliser. Hudson Lima Selva put Bhawanipore in front in the first-half injury time. Southern Samity, with this sharing of points, ended its first leg campaign with just two points.
The results: Mumbai Tigers 1 (Bikash Jairu 90+2) bt Md. Sporting 0.
Southern Samity (Kolkata) 2 (Suraj Mondal 11, Marco Pereira 90+1) drew with Bhawanipore FC 2 (Marco Barreto 29, Hudson Lima Selva 45+2).
