Minerva Punjab edge past NEROCA, consolidate place at league summit
With the three points today, the Northerners are sitting at the top of the table.
A first-half strike by Chencho Gyeltshen was enough for Minerva Punjab to claim three points against NEROCA FC in a top-of-the-table clash in Hero I-League at the Khuman Lampak Stadium on Saturday.
In Lalit Thapa's absence, Bishorjit Singh was handed goalkeeping duties instead of Sambu Mishtry by NEROCA head coach Gift Raikhan. Govin Singh, Hopi Singh and Israilov Akhlidin were brought into the starting lineup in place of Ashok Singh, Ronald Singh and Nedo Turkovic.
Nepalese custodian Kiran Limbu replaces Rakshit Dagar in goal for Khogen Singh's side. Bali Gagandeep and Altamash Sayed came into the lineup in place of Lago Bei and Moinuddin Khan as the visitors sought to extend their lead at the top of the table.
Minerva Punjab came out of the blocks immediately after kick-off and broke the deadlock in the second minute of the game.
A throw-in from the right into the box was flicked into the path of Chencho Gyeltshen by Bali Gagandeep and the Bhutanese forward latched onto it to send a terrific volley into the back of the net.
The visitors continued to put pressure on the home defence and Chenco was proving to be too difficult to handle. The 'Bhutanese Ronaldo' split NEROCA’s backline to release William Asiedu through on goal but with only the goalkeeper to beat, the striker sent his shot crashing into the side-netting.
The Punjab-based side were visibly aggressive in their approach and looked hungry to double their lead.
Also Read
Gokulam take on Shillong Lajong with both teams seeking points and consistency
From cellar dwellers to title contenders: Dissecting FC Goa's ressurection in ISL 4
Chhetri the lone star for Bengaluru in win over NorthEast United
NEROCA’s inability to create chances was concerning for Raikhan and the head coach wasted no time in changing things around as he made two substitutions in the first half. Pritam Singh replaced an ineffective Akhlidin Israilov in midfield and Saran Singh was also thrown into the equation in place of Yumnam Singh.
The changes, however, failed to bring about a change in the overall flow of the game as Minerva continued to threaten in the attacking third whereas NEROCA struggled to catch the visitors' defence off-guard in the first-half.
Minerva Punjab threatened against after the restart as Chencho managed to pick out Asiedu inside the box from the right but the Ghanaian striker sent his effort into the hands of the NEROCA goalkeeper who dived well to his right.
The home side had half-chances to their name in the second half but none of them was put away. A corner at the hour-mark was headed over the bar by Aryn Williams who rose highest at the near-post.
Felix Chidi missed NEROCA's best chance from inside the box in the 90th minute of the game when he shot inches wide.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]Minerva Punjab managed to cruise to a win despite scoring only one goal as they defended valiantly in the final moments of the game to pick up all three points in a vital clash and to extend their lead at the top of the table.
The table toppers will once again be put to the test against East Bengal in an away game on January 30. NEROCA will now take on Churchill Brothers in an away game on the same date.
- Al Riyadh vs Al Ettifaq Lineups, prediction, betting tips & odds
- LOSC Lille vs Rennes Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- Southampton vs Liverpool Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- I-League 2024-25: Inter Kashi start their campaign with a hard-fought win
- Top 10 highest goalscorers in football history
- Ashutosh Mehta on ISL comeback, national team call-up, relationship with Khalid Jamil & more
- Petr Kratky highlights this Mumbai City FC player's performance against Kerala Blasters
- Mohun Bagan not be fined by AFC after recognising their case as 'Event of Force Majeure'
- How much bonus did Vinicius Jr miss out on after losing Ballon d'Or 2024 award?
- Mats Hummels' girlfriend: Meet Nicola Cavanis, her job, Instagram & more
- Top 10 highest goalscorers in football history
- Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: All-time goals & stats comparison
- Cristiano Ronaldo: List of all goals for Al Nassr
- I-League 2024-25: Full fixtures, schedule, results, standings & more
- Jose Molina outlines how Dimitri Petratos can rediscover top form for Mohun Bagan