Churchill Brothers hold Gokulam, Mohammedan beat Neroca in I-League

This was the Malabarians' fourth draw of the season.

Gokulam Kerala came from behind on Saturday to hold Churchill Brothers for a 1-1 stalemate in the I-League 2021-22, here, at the Kalyani Stadium. Ikechukwu Kenneth Ngwoke broke the deadlock by scoring the opener in the 15th minute. However, his goal was cancelled out by Jourdain Fletcher. Gokulam Kerala dominated the game in terms of ball possessions (69%) and shots on target (13), but they were forced to settle for a draw in the end.

The league leaders Gokulam Kerala FC started the game on the front foot, pressing relentlessly in the hopes of breaking the deadlock early. They also had back-to-back chances inside 10 minutes, but they were unable to convert them. In the meantime, Churchill Brothers relied on their defence to prevent their opponents from scoring an early goal.

After securing the backline, Churchill Brothers started their counter-attack, and they were soon rewarded when Nigerian forward Kenneth Ngwoke tricked the opposing goalkeeper Akshit Dagar to put his team ahead in the 15th minute. Richard Costa set him up with a looping cross, and the 29-year-old made no mistakes as he slammed the ball into the net.

After surrendering the opening goal, Gokulam Kerala raised their game in pursuit of an equaliser. Churchill Brothers, on the other hand, kept their cool and did not allow their opponents to level the game. Churchill Brothers’ defence was compact, despite Gokulam’s constant attacks down the channels.  Churchill’s fullbacks didn’t leave much room for the reigning champions around the 18-yard box to create clear-cut opportunities.

Jithin MS received the first yellow card of the match in the 36th minute for a harsh foul as a result of Gokulam Kerala’s persistent attack. However, they were also successful in levelling the contest as Jourdain Ronaldo Fletcher pulled one back for his side in the 38th minute. Mohammed Jasim dashed down the line, outrunning a couple of Churchill defenders before passing to Fletcher in the box, who slammed the ball into the net.

Following that, both teams increased their intensity in an attempt to grab the lead by scoring their second goal, but they were unsuccessful in their attempts as the game was locked at 1-1 at the end of the first half.

Both Gokulam Kerala and Churchill Brothers started the second half cautiously as they aimed to gain the upper hand in the match. Gokulam Kerala named double substitutions at the start of the second half as Sreekuttan VS and Zodingliana replaced Ahmed Waseem Razeek and Jithin on the field respectively. Zodingliana was booked for a challenge on one of his opponents just two minutes after taking the field.

As the game approached the one-hour mark, the Malabarians increased their efforts in their pursuit of a goal. Churchill, on the other hand, maintained a tight grip on his competitors.

Thahir Zaman was replaced by Beneston Barretto in the 62nd minute as Gokulam Kerala made another round of substitutions. In the 68th minute, Krizo was cautioned, becoming the first Churchill Brothers player to get penalized. Shubert Pereira replaced Krizo five minutes after he was punished.

Emil Benny was substituted in the 75th minute to make way for Abhijith K, and three minutes later he produced a wonderful opportunity for Gokulam Kerala by taking a shot from close range, but it did not go in.

The defending champions continued their persistent attack as the game neared the end with the hope to score the winning goal. However, the Red machines maintained their composure to hold out for a draw in the I-League 2021/22

Mohammedan SC beat Neroca FC to open up title race

A convincing victory and a first clean sheet after eight games for Mohammedan SC helped them overcome NEROCA FC in the I-League on a rainy evening, here at the Naihati Stadium. Both goals were gifts from the NEROCA defence as Marcus Joseph was on the scoresheet again alongside Henry Kisekka, who scored five minutes after coming on to make his first appearance for the club.

Emerging with just one win in the last five games and Gokulam Kerala continuing their good run at the top, a good start in this game was a compulsion for Mohammedan. The rain played its part on the pitch as both sides were testing the waters in the opening ten minutes of the game.

Mohammedan got the start they wanted as Marcus Joseph pounced on a complacent back-pass and carefully placed it into the back of the net to give his side the lead in the 17th minute. The Trinidadian attacking instinct has been evident all season and was evident yet again as he nabbed his 13th goal of the season, with an eye on the golden boot.

In the final quarter of the first half, Joseph was hungry for another goal as he prowled into the NEROCA box again. This time the striker was denied, first by Ben Nash and then by Lallenmang Sitlhou. Towards the end of the first half, Joseph chose to pass instead of shoot as he put SK Faiaz through on goal but the attack came to nothing.

After conceding in an unfortunate manner, NEROCA pushed forward looking for a desperate equaliser. The attacking four of NEROCA were kept at bay by the Mohammedan back-five. Khaiminthang Lhungdim got into the box from the left but a dual tackle from Wayne Vaz and Saiful Rahaman denied a shot on target.

In the second half, Mohammedan came out all guns blazing, exuding confidence in attack, pushing NEROCA into their own half. Faiaz came close to scoring Mohammedan’s second of the evening, but was denied by Nash at the end. Joseph and Faisal Ali played a nice one-two down the right before Joseph blasted his shot just wide of the goal.

A minute later, Brandon Vanlalremdika crossed in a beautiful ball from the left which came directly to Ali who could not keep his free header on target. Joseph was in on the act again as he found himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. However, this time it was Prateek Singh who came out on top with a brave block to deny the Trinidadian.

Four minutes past the hour mark, NEROCA had an opportunity to whip the ball into the Mohammedan box from a free-kick. Davis Kamanga lofted the ball in but it could not do any damage. Instead, it gave Mohammedan a chance to break on the counter. Brandon sneaked into the box from the left, under pressure from Sitlhou, and got a tame shot away that was comfortably saved by the keeper.

NEROCA had Ben Nash to thank for his astute defending that kept them in the game. Ali was in on goal but could not get a shot away as Nash thwarted the Winger’s run from the right. Nash’s tackles, blocks and pressurising tactics ended quite a few Mohammedan attacks.

At the other end, the defensive pair of Wayne Vaz and Asheer Akhtar was booked for a double-challenge on Kamanga. From the resulting freekick, Mendi’s curling effort was inches away from goal.

Three minutes from time, Andrey Chernyshov decided to make a defensive change as Andelo Rudovic was replaced by Sujit Sadhu. The change came a couple of minutes after Faiaz was replaced by Henry Kisekka, who had come on to make his first appearance of the season.

In the first minute of additional time, Joseph was gifted with yet another opportunity. However, this time the unselfish striker passed it to Kisekka, who took a touch before tapping the ball into an empty net. Kisekka scored a goal five minutes into his first appearance to give Mohammedan a two-goal lead that was held till the full-time whistle.

The win keeps Mohammedan in the title race and within three points of Gokulam Kerala. The leaders do have a game in hand. NEROCA, who have extended their winless streak to six games, moved to the bottom of the I-League table, level on points with Rajasthan United.