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After a hard-fought 90 minutes of pulsating football between the league debutants and the 'giant-killers', neither of the teams could come on top as the game between Gokulam Kerala and Real Kashmir FC ended 1-1.
Pritam Singh opened the scoring for the home side, courtesy a defence-splitting ball from local lad Arjun Jayaraj from the middle of the park. Gokulam Kerala looked on course to bag the all-important three points but a late equaliser from Surchandra Singh spoiled the party for Bino George's men.
The 'Snow Leopards', as they are known, climb up to the second spot in the ladder while Gokulam Kerala have leapfrogged East Bengal to go to sixth following the stalemate.
Sportskeeda brings to you the top talking points from the evenly poised encounter :
#1 Arjun Jayaraj - A revelation
With two goals from five matches, the Malappuram born-lad is in his dream form at the moment. The game against Real Kashmir was no different as well. His brilliant ability to release both the wingers through troubled the Kashmiri defence in regular intervals. He combined brilliantly with Muhammad Rashid and Felipe de Castro at the centre of the park and created several openings up front.
In fact, it was Arjun Jayraj's defence-splitting ball from the middle of the park went through the Kashmiri defence to find an on-rushing Pritam Singh who just had to make a touch to get it past a hapless Bilal Khan in the first half.
Jayaraj continued his brilliance with darting runs down the pitch from the flanks as well in the second half. He set up Joel Sunday and Christian Sabah but the African Duo failed to sort their feet in time and squandered several chances.
Jayaraj has been a revelation among Kerala's ranks in this season and it would be interesting to see how long he carries on his current incisive form.
#2 Real Kashmir wasteful upfront
The midfield trio of Nagen Tamang, Bazie Armand and Khalid Qayoom were instrumental throughout the 90 minutes and created quite a number of chances for Krizo and Abednedo Kofi Tetteh to exploit the Kerala defence, but the duo were extremely off-colour throughout the game and seldom got a shot on target in the first period of 45 minutes.
The closest Real Kashmir could come to scoring was at the concluding minutes of the first half when a brilliant ball from Bazie Armand found Krizo with just the goalkeeper to beat, unleashed a shot on to the side netting.
Both Krizo and Kofi always came second best in the duels with Kerala defender Fabricio Ortiz. The Argentine centre-back made some key timely interceptions to keep the attacking duo of the visitors at bay.
With the immense lack in goal-mouth action upfront, defender Mason Lee Robertson had to let go of his regular defending duties to assist the midfield in creating more openings but to of no avail. It took an extraordinary solo effort from Surchandra Singh to finally equalise for the Kashmiri side.
With such slack in attacking moves upfront, it is indeed a worry for David Robertson to get the goals in the games to come.
#3 Resolute Gokulam Kerala defence
A one-goal lead in the second half for a team always keeps the defence on its toes. There was a similar pattern of play in the second half as well. Real Kashmir kept on pushing for the equaliser and threw all men up the pitch for that one goal. Gokulam Kerala were kept under immense pressure throughout the second period of 45 minutes.
Fabricio Ortiz and Daniel Addo displayed a disciplined attitude with heavy marking of the Real Kashmir strikers which gave them an inch to exploit. It took a solo effort from Surchandra Singh to find the back of the net eventually but that too was let in courtesy an incorrect positioning of Gokulam shot-stopper Arnab Das Sharma, leaving the far side wide open.
Dimple Bhagat and Abhishek Das also took good care of the flanks which didn't allow the Real Kashmir Wingers in Tamang and Khalid to deliver in too many crosses.
The Gokulam defence will only grow more resilient and disciplined with games to come, making it a tough nut to crack for the opposition teams.
