Hakim frowned on a shaky defence and a stuttering forward line. However, goals by Sanjay Raval (13th minute), Shamsi Raza (17th), PJ Jose (43rd) and captain Susanta Mazumdar (60th) must come as soothing balm to a side truamatised by the travails of last season.

The result gives Mahindras their second win after losing the opener to Bengal Mumbai Football Club (BMFC) by a solitary goal. The railwaymen, last year's runners-up, suffered their second defeat after scoring a heartening 1-0 win over the new professional club BMFC in their last encounter.

Raval couldn't ask for more when Jose found him with a forward pass. In the box and unchallenged, the striker drove to Central 'keeper R Khanolkar's left to put the National Football League's relegated side 1-0 ahead.

It was 2-0 four minutes later when Shamsi Razapunished some sloppy defending. He robbed Anthony Fernandes of the ball, outpaced Narendran before slipping past an advancing Khanolkar.

Let down by play-maker Arif Ansari and a hesitant Sagar Amin in defence, Central Railway rarely had a look-in at the Mahindras' goal. With Augusto D'Silva looking forlorn in attack, chances were virtually non-existent.One did come by for the railwaymen but Mahindras goalkeeper Salim Ansari was equal to the occasion during a goalmouth scramble on the half-hour mark.PJ Jose then scored a memorable goal. Quick thinking enabled a gigantic lob after Ramesh Razak had the Central defence transfixed with a prod upfront. Jose exploited a kind bounce to send in a lob from 40 yards, beating a valiant effort by 'keeper Khanolkar to thwart the strike.

Willy Joy, making a comeback from injury after nearly a year, blocked out the threat posed by Masood Ansari and Arshad Ansari, although betraying a slight limp.

Sagar Amin, added to his misery by conceding a penalty on the hour afterbringing down substitute Manjeet Singh. Mazumdar gave Salim Ansari no chance with a blinder from the spot to complete the rout.

A second yellow to Ramesh Razak, who brought down Arshad Ansari, sent the defender to the dressing room with 13 minutes remaining and Mahindras suffered further disappointment when Manjit failed to score after a good run spanning the length of the pitch.