Guwahati: NorthEast United FC and Kerala Blasters FC played out a goalless draw in a Hero Indian Super League match at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here on Friday.
After a cagey first 45 minutes, both the sides had chances to clinch the game in the second half but due to poor finishing the game finished goalless. Kerala are eighth on the table with 15 points while NorthEast United, who have not scored for five games in a row now, are a spot below with 12 points.
The game got off to a sedate start with the ball mired in midfield as both sides struggled to find their rhythm. There was a lack of urgency from both the teams, unsurprising given the fact that both sides were out of the running for play-off spots.
North East were handed a blow in the middle of the first half when Provat Lakra went off injured and Wayne Vaz had to fill in. Both goalkeepers continued to be untested as the half went by.
The first real chance of the game finally came in the 41st minute when Federico Gallego picked out Andy Keogh’s run from a chipped free-kick, but the Irishman could not keep his first-time volley on target.
Just before the break, North East custodian Subhasish Roy Chowdhury was forced into a save when Moustapha Gning glanced a header from Sergio Cidoncha’s free-kick. The second-half witnessed a flurry of chances. NorthEast should have taken the lead within two minutes of restart when Gallego picked out substitute Nikhil Kadam’s run into the box with a brilliant pass but Kadam’s shot from close-range was parried away by Kerala goalkeeper Bilal Khan. (PTI)
