KOLKATA, Feb 13: Gokulam Kerala FC kept alive their hopes of finishing in the top half of the I-League table before the next round by defeating high-flying TRAU 3-1 here on Saturday.
An Emil Benny master-stroke (16th minute) in the first half coupled with Sharif Mohammad’s (57th) and Zodingliana Ralte’s (86th) second-half strikes led the Vincenzo Annese-coached side to an easy win. Komron Tursunov (87th) pulled a goal back for TRAU in the dying moments of the game.
Gokulam played their usual style of football by keeping possession and rotating the ball on the flanks from the very start of the match. Crosses into the box for Dennis Antwi and Philip Adjah became a common sight as the Malabarians tried to take an early lead.
A moment of magic for the Malabarains made take the lead in the 16th minute. Vincy Barreto’s cross from the right flank found an onrushing Emil Benny inside the box. Benny volleyed it first time into the back of the net.
TRAU were dealt another blow in the 57th minute when Sharif Mohammad was found unmarked inside the box after a Dennis Antwi flick-on from a corner kick found him inside the box. With ample space and time, Sharif fired from close range into the back of the net to double the Malabarians’ lead.
In the 86th minute, Zodingliana Ralte bundled home his chance from close range after Dennis Antwi was brought down inside the box, to give Gokulam Kerala FC a three-goal advantage.
Immediately in the very next minute, TRAU pulled a goal back as Tursunov’s shot from just inside the box whizzed past the opposition custodian and crashed into the net.
Other matches
Punjab FC moved to the top spot in the I-League standings after notching up a comfortable 2-0 victory over Chennai City at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium here on Saturday.
With the result, the Punjab side have now displaced Churchill Brothers on the summit of I-League points table with 14 points from eight outings — one point ahead of the Red Machines, who have played one game less.
In other match, Real Kashmir beat NEROCA. Kashmir overcame a stiff challenge from the Imphal based side to win 4-3. (PTI)
