Kerala Blasters FC pulled off a memorable 2-1 victory over Mohammedan SC at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday, marking the first time in 27 games that they have won an away match after conceding first in the Indian Super League.
Two second-half strikes from Kwame Peprah and Jesus Jimenez saw Mikael Stahre’s men secure their third consecutive victory in Kolkata, a feat they had never achieved in the competition.
Mirjalol Kasimov handed Mohammedan SC the lead, but the visitors showed resilience in the second half to produce a come-from-behind victory.
The visitors were off the blocks quickly, as Noah Sadaoui found the right tune from the start. The Moroccan posed all sorts of trouble for the Mohammedan backline, especially after combining with Adrian Luna, who was pulling the strings from midfield. However, the hosts weathered the early storm brilliantly and gradually imposed themselves on the match's tempo.
In the 20th minute, Mohammedan defender Joseph Adjei had to be substituted out after suffering an injury. Andrey Chernyshov turned to French defender Florent Ogier to replace the Ghanaian.
The next ten minutes saw the hosts dominate possession and also create a few chances. Their persistent nature in attack was rewarded when Kerala Blasters debutant custodian, Som Kumar brought down Franca in the penalty area in the 27th minute, handing a penalty to Mohammedan. Kasimov stepped up and converted from the spot to hand a crucial lead to the hosts.
The Blasters weren’t bogged down after conceding the goal. In the 34th minute, they almost managed to level the scores as Jimenez wriggled his way past multiple Mohammedan defenders before pulling the trigger. But the Spaniard’s effort was crashed onto crossbar.
The second period saw both teams trying to take control of the possession in midfield. But the game swayed in the favour of the Blasters by Peprah’s introduction in the 64th minute. Within three minutes, the forward came up with the equalizer, latching onto a cross from Sadaoui. Peprah was quick to react to the cross, evading his marker before tucking it past Padam Chettri in goal.
There was controversy in the 70th minute as Mohammedan were denied a penalty after Franca was bundled over from behind by Hormipam Ruivah after being put through on goal. The home crowd was furious with the decision and expressed their displeasure by throwing water bottles on the pitch.
The Blasters enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and also created a flurry of chances. They eventually secured the lead in the 75th minute when Naocha Singh found Jimenez in the penalty area with a beautifully weighted cross from the left flank. The Spaniard rose the highest, beating Ogier in the air and eventually heading it past Chettri.
Mohammedan best chance of coming back into the game fell to Lalremsanga Fanai in the stoppage time when he combined with Cesar Manzoki. The former was through on goal but his eventual effort was brilliantly kept out by Som Kumar, who also became the fourth youngest goalkeeper to start a game in ISL. His last-ditch save was enough to see the Kerala BlastersFC home as they clinched their second win of the season.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!