Local outfit Mahindra United pipped Mohammed Sporting, Kolkata 4-3 in the third round of the eighth National Football League at the Cooperage in Mumbai on Thrusday.

In a thrilling encounter, the jeep men, who were locked 1-1 at half-time, raced away to a hard earned win.

The Kolkata outfit took the lead in the ninth minute when defender Amjad Ali Khan scored off winger Iqbal Shahnaz's cross.

In the 23rd minute the jeepmen equalised when their defender Covan Lawrence's free kick was headed home by winger Felix Aboagye.

Four minutes after half time, Sporting could have taken the lead but their winger Edeh Chidi was intercepted well by Mahindra custodian Kalyan Chaubey when the later was poised to score.

The following counter attack proved fruitful for the hosts when their striker Raphael Patron Apakpo lobbed over an advancing Sporting custodian Bivash Ghosh to make it 2-1.

Ten minutes later Mahindra skipper Khalid Jameel increased the lead with a long range shot which curled into the goalmouth and five minutes later Mahindra substitute Abhishek Yadav shot over from a close range.

In the 70th minute, Sporting winger Edeh Chidi scored to narrow the margin to 2-3 though three minutes later Yadav made up for the earlier lapse when he headed home a Akakpo cross.

With just ten minutes to go for the final hooter, a penalty was awarded to Sporting when their medio Rahim Nobi was brought down inside the box by Chaubey. Striker Dipendu
Biswas took the spot kick and scored.