FC Brunton v BFE United
Score: FC Brunton (3) – (2) BFE United
Scorers:
FC Brunton (Mohit Ahuja 25’,40’, Tushar Sachdev 38’)
BFE United (Rakendra Thapa 12’ , Praney Thapa 44’)
Brunton got back to winning ways after they defeated BFE United in the opening clash of GW 5. BFE went up early on thanks to a goal from Rakendra Thapa in the minute but Brunton immediately made a substitution to bring on their star striker Mohit Ahuja to turn things around. Mohit scored in the minute to level things after which Brunton started playing more confidently but the teams headed into halftime level.
Brunton went on to pick up a second goal when Tushar Sachdev found himself open in the box and headed home from close range in the 38th minute. In the second half, BFE seemingly got back into the game but could not really find that finesse in the final third to finish things off and they paid the price when Mohit grabbed his second for the day to increase the margin to 2 goals.
Praney Thapa pulled one back for BFE 4 minutes later to make the last quarter of the game very interesting but Brunton managed to hold on to their lead and survived a nervy finish.
Brunton have lifted themselves from the red zone and another win should all but guarantee safety this season. But after a promising start, just finishing above the red zone will still be seen as a disappointment. BFE United, on the other hand, are yet to pick up a win and even though they have shown improvement in their performances the results have eluded them.
They do need to change that as soon as possible if they to escape relegation in their first season in TAL.
Man of the Match: Mohit Ahuja (FC Brunton)
C2 FC v FC Kudlu
Score: C2 FC (2) – (2) FC Kudlu
Scorers:
C2 FC (Franck C 39’, Yeshwant Mekala 43’)
FC Kudlu (Mark Ngaithe 40’, Nideesh N 47’)
Kudlu put in an impressive performance to secure a 2-2 draw against C2 FC who now have lost their place at the top of the table. The dropped points and Al-Fateh’s win saw C2 move down to second place and could be a big blow to their title hopes.
Kudlu have been vastly improved team compared to last season and the additions they made over the off-season have had a huge impact on the squad. Mark Ngaithe was once again the hero for Kudlu and scored a wonderful free kick to level things in the second half.
The first half was goalless and with teams playing a more open game in the second half, Franck opened the scoring for C2 FC to give them the lead in the 40th minute. C2 were seemingly on their way to another win in a tight game before Mark levelled things for Kudlu.
Although they weren’t their dominant selves, C2 managed to grab the lead in the 43rd minute when Yeshwanth Mekala found the back the net. This injected some confidence back into their game and they looked like they would go on to score one more but against the play of the game Kudlu managed to find the equalizer once more when Nideesh scored in the 47th minute.
C2 FC lost a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top and now play the chasing game but an all-important clash with fourth-placed Rebels FC next week will play a big role in their finishing position for the season.
Kudlu have had a good season so far but their hopes of a top-three finish might be a stretch given the teams above them. They come up against struggling Mercurial next week and a win there coupled with other results might just throw them back into the mix for a top a three finish.
Man of the Match: Yeshwanth Mekala (C2 FC)
Rebels FC v Garden Boys FC
Score: Rebels FC (3) – (0) Garden Boys FC
Scorers:
Rebels FC (Riva Edjique 30’, Elizer Bareh 41’,54’)
Rebels moved up to fourth after they picked up a comfortable win against Garden Boys. Garden Boys held them off for almost the whole of the first half and things might have been different had the game gone into halftime but Rebels newfound star Riva Edjique opened the scoring in the 30th minute.
Garden Boys have had a roller coaster season till now and need to pick up some more points to guarantee safety from relegation. Elizer Bareh stuck twice in the second half to extend the margin for Rebels and hand Garden Boys consecutive losses.
Rebels defence was solid and thwarted away Garden Boys attacks quite easily with Vijay N and Nikhil Pande extremely composed at the back. Garden Boys need to shore up their attack and need to find the back of the net more regularly.
Rebels have now put themselves in a position to challenge for a top three spot and a win in next week’s clash against C2 FC could set them up for a strong finish for the second half of the season. Garden Boys need to make use of the current transfer window to find some depth in their attack as they look to avoid relegation in the first season in TAL.
Man of the Match: Elizer Bareh (Rebels FC)
Titans FC v Diablos FC
Score: Titans FC (1) – (1) Diablos FC
Scorers:
Titans FC (Yash Hemdev 22’)
Diablos FC (Tony Lobo 14’)
Titans dropped crucial points in the title race when they drew 1-1 with Diablos. In fact they might have been a little lucky to come away with a draw with Diablos looking like their old selves again. Diablos have gotten extremely close to promotion in the past two seasons but have faltered at crucial times but if they have any chance of accomplishing their goal this season they have to win pretty much all their games from now on till the end of season.
Titans played well but have missed the presence of Akshay Kukke up front in their past two games. The lanky dribbler provides a threat up front, something Titans have lacked in the past few games. Diablos took the lead in the 14th minute when Tony Lobo slotted home the opener but Diablos were pegged back to level terms 8 minutes later when Yash Hemdev found the back of the net.
The right back played in a more forward role this game and was effective but his presence was missed in the back and Diablos found it way easier to attack on the flanks.
Rakesh Reddy had a good game in defence and had a big role to play in keeping the scores level in the second half while Anirudh KD didn’t have the best game in midfield often losing possession.
Siddharth TC was largely responsible for that and was extremely effective in midfield providing a cover for his defence. Overall a draw was probably a fair result both with both teams needing wins it didn’t help either. Both teams cannot afford to lose any more points and will look to set things rights in the coming week but will have to play full strength squads’ to keep on track.
Man of the Match: Siddharth TC (Diablos FC)
Athlos United v FC Sparta
Score: Athlos United (2) – (1) FC Sparta
Scorers:
Athlos United (Tejasvi Karanwal 9’, Ashish Dhiman 42’)
FC Sparta (Benjamin George 59’)
Athlos moved up third after they picked up a win against Sparta and as per usual have picked up the pace after a slow start. Tejasvi Karanwal opened the scoring for Athlos in the 9th minute and looked set for the win from the get go. Credit must be given to Sparta who held them back quite well but Athlos were in no mood to settle for anything but a win.
The score went into halftime with a 1-0 score-line but Athlos were in charge for most of the game.
The second half saw Sparta make some substitutions to turn things around and had more possession but their attacks broken down in the final third thanks to the efforts of Mohnish Madnani and Mohammed Arshaque.
Midhun Nair also filled in effectively as keeper and did well to have a vocal presence on the pitch. Second half substitute Ashish Dhiman scored the second for Athlos in the 42nd minute to give a comfortable margin going into the last quarter of the game and they did need it with Sparta turning up the gears after that.
Benjamin George scored a consolation goal for Sparta in the 59th minute but Athlos had already sealed the result.
Athlos now move into third place and their hopes of promotion look well and alive while Sparta are desperate to pick up a win as they look to move out of the red zone. Clivert Martis has provided Athlos with some oomph they were missing at the start of the season while Sabarish Kannan looks to have come into form and his speed on the flanks looks to be a threat as the season progresses.
Sparta don’t seem to have the same attacking threat they had last season with Lalit Braganza and Benjamin George not as effective while the new adiditons are yet to settle in fully.
Man of the Match: Mohnish Madnani (Athlos United)
Emdee Al-Fateh v Mercurial FC
Score: Emdee Al-Fateh (5) – (0) Mercurial FC
Scorers
Emdee Al-Fateh (Zaib Sherief 21’, Tariq Sheriff 23’,40’, Shariq Sheriff 47’, Nikhil Das 51’)
Emdee Al-Fateh retook the lead at the top of the table after their convincing win over Mercurial FC. A five star performance saw them score 5 past their opponents while conceding none on the other end. The Mercurial defence held off Al-Fateh for the first quarter of the game but with the attacking threat Al-Fateh posses it was only a matter of time before they opened the floodgates.
Captain Zaib Sherief opened the scoring in the 21st minute to give Al-Fateh the lead and they never looked back after that. Tariq Sheriff was in top form and picked up a brace for the night as his goals on either side of the half won him a well-deserved man of the match award.
Shariq Sheriff also got on the score list when he extended his team’s lead to four goals in the 47th minute while Nikhil Das scored the fifth in the 51st minute to round off an extremely efficient performance.
Mercurial have to tinker their strategy with only three points to their name and if there are any chances of avoiding consecutive drops they need to strengthen their attack before the transfer window closes. Al-Fateh have reclaimed pole position and it looks unlikely they will drop out of the top three but to win the title they need to put aside any complacency that might creep up after large wins.
Man of the Match: Tariq Sheriff (Emdee Al-Fateh)
