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Kerala Blasters registered their second win on the trot after overcoming FC Goa 3-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on November 13, Sunday.
The Manjappada turned the first half upside down with two goals from Adrian Luna and Dimitrios Diamantakos before Ivan Kalyuzhnyi added another goal in spectacular fashion in the second half. FC Goa pulled a goal back through their new signing Noah Sadaoui, but it was too little and too late.
Both clubs kicked off the game with attacking intent, with Iker Guarrotxena and Alvaro Vazquez coming close to opening the scoreline for the visitors. Fan favorite Sahal Abdul Samad's ferocious strike was parried away to safety by FC Goa custodian Dheeraj Singh at the other end.
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Despite early chances for both sides, the game produced zero chances until Adrian Luna broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute. The Uruguayan took full advantage when the ball landed at his feet after a scuffed shot from Abdul Samad.
The lead was doubled in no time when Diamantakos was brought down by Anwar Ali. The striker, who won the penalty, sent Dheeraj in another direction while calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net. The Gaurs made their lives more difficult by allowing time and space for current Indian Super League topscorer Kalyuzhnyi. The Ukrainian made the net bulge with a thunderous strike from thirty yards to put the game beyond the sight of Carlos Pena's side.
Seriton Fernandes' sumptuous delivery found Sadaoui, who headed the ball to beat Prabhsukhan Gill for the first time. With the victory, Manjappada moved up to fifth spot, while the visitors remain fourth in the league table.
We shall look at how players have fared across both sides from an enthralling victory for Kerala Blasters.
Kerala Blasters player ratings
Prabhsukhan Gill - 7/10: Gill was on top of his game to deny a few chances for the Gaurs, including an excellent stop to stop Guarrotxena from scoring in the second half.
Sandeep Singh - 6.5/10: Singh had a decent outing where he used his defensive acumen to shut down the visitors. FC Goa were rarely able to attack through their left flank.
Hormipam Ruivah - 6.5/10: Yet another solid display from Ruivah, who had the gigantic task of keeping Vazquez quiet. He was aerially sound and negated the opponents' threat. He will be hoping to continue his form in the coming weeks.
Marko Leskovic - 7/10: A leader at the back, Leskovic was able to keep goalscorer Sadaoui quiet until the Moroccoan swapped wings in the second half. He made crucial interceptions and played good long balls.
Nishu Kumar - 7/10: Nishu took full advantage of Jessel Carneiro's poor form and showed his quality to Ivan Vukomanovic. He had defensive lapses, but his passing ability aided Kerala Blasters on numerous occasions.
Jeakson Singh - 6.5/10: FC Goa were struggling to retain the ball -- thanks to relentless runs from Jeakson. His runs off-the-ball made a huge difference to the complexion of the game.
Ivan Kalyuzhnvi - 8/10: Similar to Jeakson, Ivan was a hardworker. His off-the-ball and on-the-ball efforts paid off as he scored a piledriver from long distance. He's currently the leading scorer of the campaign.
Sahal Abdul Samad - 7.5/10: Abdul Samad showed glimpses of last season's form today. The local star nearly scored in the third minute after his shot was pushed away to safety by Dheeraj. He was the major link between midfield and the forward line.
Rahul KP - 7.5/10: Perhaps the most in-form player for Kerala Blasters currently. The Kerala-born youngster gave the Gaurs defense a hard time with his offensive runs. He was unlucky to miss out on an assist after Luna skied a header in the second half.
Adrian Luna - 8.5/10: Luna's opener helped Kerala push further and procure an all-important victory. The attacker was in the right place to score the opener. His overall game caused havoc to the opposition.
Dimitrios Diamantakos - 9/10: Kerala Blasters fans have finally seen the best version of Diamantakos. The Greece international's movement paved the way for another forward to run in between the opposition backline. He also won a penalty and scored from the spot.
Substitutes:
Puitea - 7/10: Puitea was brought on as soon as FC Goa scored. He was instrumental in winning possession back when FC Goa were continuously knocking on the door for a second goal.
Apostolos Giannou - 6.5/10: Giannou's hold-up play helped Kerala Blasters retain the ball during crucial circumstances.
Jessel Carneiro - 6.5/10: Carneiro had to slow down the tempo of the game after coming on.
Saurav Mandal - 6/10: The midfielder was tasked with sitting back with the defense and negating the threat.
Victor Mongil - N/A: He came on during the closing stages of the game.
FC Goa player ratings
Dheeraj Singh - 6.5/10: Dheeraj was not at fault for any goals that were conceded by FC Goa. His early save off Sahal kept his side in the game.
Seriton Fernandes - 7/10: Despite being part of the backline that conceded three goals, Seriton had a solid game. The right-back was solid defensively and also produced a magical moment with an exquisite delivery to find Sadaoui for FC Goa's only goal.
Aibanbha Dohling - 5.5/10: Luna and Diamantakos were running behind him and Anwar Ali throughout the game. He was unable to handle the pressure and eventually conceded on the mark of the half-time whistle.
Anwar Ali - 5/10: Similar to Dohling, Ali was not able to deal with the Manjappada forwards. He capitulated after the opening goal and was also the guilty party in conceding the penalty.
Saviour Gama - 6/10: He was unfortunately forced to leave the pitch after 20 minutes.
Ayush Dev Chhetri - 7/10: Chhetri was sitting at the back with Edu Bedia and was trying to control the game. Although the visitors had more possession, his runs without the ball helped FC Goa clear the danger.
Edu Bedia - 6.5/10: Bedia was below par and was second best to everything. His free-kick from 40 yards was not far from hitting the back of the net.
Brandon Fernandes - 6/10: Brandon stayed quiet throughout the game and failed to create any opportunity for the visitors.
Iker Guarrotxena - 6.5/10: Iker's failure to grasp a couple of opportunities that feel FC Goa's way might come back to haunt them. His overall game was decent as he got the better of Ruivah.
Noah Sadaoui - 7.5/10: Sadaoui was undeniably the best attacker for FC Goa. The Moroccan international drifted away from the defenders to leave himself unmarked and head the ball in during the second half.
Alvaro Vazquez - 6/10: Vazquez looked lively during the opening minutes of the game, but fizzled away as the game progressed. He was unable to take an early chance that fell his way.
Substitutes:
Sanson Pereira - 6/10: Pereira struggled to contain Rahul and was second best in the battle. He made numerous clearances to clear the immediate dangers.
Redeem Tlang - 7/10: Pena would be happy with this display from Tlang. He acted as the playmaker and nearly set-up Sadaoui for his second goal of the night.
Brison Fernandes - 6/10: His substitution did not have any impact on the game.
