Vikram Partap Singh has been on a roll for the Mumbaikars side with his consistent scoring and match-winning performances. He scored both the goals in Mumbai City’s 2-0 win against Bengaluru FC last month, he has upped the game by scoring a hat-trick on the Mumbai City Vs North East United encounter on Tuesdat, leading his side to a dominating 4-1 victory.
The striker’s performance has been a testament of mental strength and commitment as he lost his father back in January this year and came back to play shortly after. He dedicated the 2-0 victory over Bengaluru at the Mumbai Football Arena to his father. In an interview after the game, the teenage forward for the Islanders, struggling to contain his tears, had declared, “All my goals will be for him.”
The 22-year-old India international performed even better on Tuesday, lighting up Mumbai’s 4-1 victory over North East United at the Arena with his first-ever ISL hat-trick. The fan was watching from above.
Vikram couldn’t have been treated as more appropriate for his second goal, which came as early as the third minute, despite being a little fortunate for his first one, which occurred as he appeared to be slightly offside as he rushed onto Dutch midfielder Yoel Van Nieff’s pass before firing past Gurmeet. The NorthEast keeper’s palms were pricked by Bipin Singh’s rasping left-footed attempt, but Vikram was fast enough to head in the rebound.
The Islanders led 2-0 after ten minutes and easily won their 11th straight league game. Van Nieff’s strong penalty kick in the final moments of the half effectively ended the match, despite the visitors’ best efforts to rally.
Once more, Vikram was involved in the goal; it was his clever through pass from the left that resulted in the penalty after Redeem Tlang’s poor challenge pulled down Akash Mishra in the area as he ran to receive the pass.
The West Coast Brigade yelled “Vikaram,” expecting the attacker to finish with a hat-trick, but Van Nieff was the one to take the spot kick and put it right in the heart of the net.
If Vikram needed to wait till the 79th minute for NorthEast to score a goal back, he was not about to let his triple be denied. After dominating the match, Jithin Madathil Subran took full advantage of a rare moment of distraction on Petr Kratky’s part. After Gani Ahmed substituted Macarton Louis Nickson late in the first half, Jithin reached the box before Mohammad Nawaz did. Nawaz’s defense and Nawaz’s replacement, Phurba, were confused, and Jithin rolled the ball into the net.
The hosts’ three-goal lead was restored in just one minute, courtesy of a superb move combining Lallianzuala Chhangte and Jorge Pereyra Diaz, which culminated with Vikram smashing Chhangte’s cut back goal.
