David James couldn’t have asked for a better start to his Kerala Blasters managerial reign.

For what looked like a home match for the visiting team, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi was a sea of yellow. As the Manjapadda out-shouted the Dynamos Ultras in the stands, their team dominated the home side on the pitch.

After a season of overhaul, it was an old favourite who did the business for the Kerala Blasters at the JLN on Wednesday. Iain Hume broke his duck for the season in a spectacular fashion, bagging his 24th, 25th and 26th goals in the Indian Super League.

After an indifferent start to the season, the Blasters are somehow only three points off the top four and have only lost one in their last five, to table toppers Bengaluru FC 1-3.

The Delhi Dynamos capitulated in the space of five second-half minutes to gift the Blasters the points. Prior to that, they did have their chances, but this is a team which appears to be low on confidence and it was a disjointed performance yet again at home.

The good news for the Dynamos fans, if it can be called that, is that their team seems to be creating chances. The flip side? They don’t seem to be compact at the back. Rule zero of football should ideally read if you can’t score enough, then don’t concede.

Heading into Wednesday’s match, they had scored more goals than the three teams above them – ATK, Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United and level with the Blasters (7).

The Delhi ship has infact sunk this season because it has taken on more water than it has been able to release and with 24 goals conceded in nine games, they are the league’s poorest defence by a country mile. FC Goa in fifth, who have conceded 15 are the team that are closest to the Dynamos.

Pritam Kotal might be skipper but in a match with national coach Stephen Constantine in attendance, the right-back did not impress in the least. He did get the final touch on Delhi’s goal but defensively, Kotal left his central defence exposed once too often.

All the good work done by their point against Chennaiyin and a fast start against the Blasters was undone in a flash as the captain was beaten by Courage Pekuson running in from the left. Rowilson Rodrigues didn’t put in a challenge and Pekuson’s low ball got a touch off Gabriel Cichero’s dive and all Hume had to do was poke it in past Xabier Ireutaguena.

The goal seemed to put the Dynamos into further disarray as the early pressing disappeared with Blasters taking charge in midfield. A blow to the head meant that the all-familiar bandage came out for Hume but it didn’t deter him from hassling and harrying the Dynamos defenders.

Romeo Fernandes’ free-kick took a glance off Kotal as Delhi equalised against the run of play but an injury to Ireutaguena meant that they lost their second keeper of the season and Arnab Das Sharma had to fill in.

The second half could have produced goals for Delhi but they snatched at their chances. Both Romeo when put through by Kotal on the right and David Nghaite, when found by Lallinzuala Chhangte six yards out from goal, fluffed their lines, failing to get the ball on target.

Delhi could have created more but in an effort to sandwich Romeo, Nandakumar and Chhangte into the team, Miguel Portugal played the Mizo youngster in a deeper role and it hampered his creativity going forward.

For Kerala, the ploy to play Hume alongside Mark Sifneos worked as the Canadian cut in from the left in the 78th minute and put it beyond Das Sharma. Hume worked his socks off in an effort to better link up with the midfield and five minutes later, he put the game beyond Delhi’s reach.

A punt up field was flicked on by Sifneos and Rowilson should have booted the ball away in the very least but Hume reacted fastest, outmuscled the Dynamos defender and chipped the onrushing Das Sharma to add gloss to the scoreline.

Romeo was rightly hooked off as he was the most disappointing of the Indian quartet in attack and replaced by Guyon Fernandez. Should an Indian goalie start Delhi’s next game, Portugal might try pairing Guyon up front with Nghaite and restoring Chhangte to a more familiar wide position.

For the Blasters, six of their remaining nine matches, hence it is imperative they peak at the right time. With Mumbai City and Jamshedpur FC to be played within four days of each other away, these fixtures represent the opposition that they will hope to pick up points from, if they are to make the top four.