Kerala Blasters won their fifth consecutive game at home against NorthEast United in a do-or-die game here at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. The win took Steve Coppel’s side to second in the table, just one point behind league leaders Mumbai City FC, and they will take on third-placed Delhi Dynamos in the second semi-final. NorthEast went into the game needing nothing less than a win but were left heartbroken when local boy CK Vineeth scored the opening and only goal of the game in the 66th minute.
Vineeth scored his 4th goal of the season and came out again as Kerala’s Hero of the match after curling a shot past TP Rehenesh who was between the opposition goal. The final league game of the season was truly a game of two halves and the Blasters came out on top after being rightfully rewarded for their second half performances. NorthEast United were wasteful on a couple of occasions and paid the price for the lack of killer instinct in their overall performance.
An unconvincing victory but three points nonetheless ensured that Kerala put and end to the highlanders’ dreams of making the cut for the play-offs. Let’s take a look at the five talking points from the game between Kerala and NorthEast:
#1 Seityasen Singh was North East United’s best player on the pitch
The Manipuri winger was in the thick of the action for NorthEast and was a constant threat down the flanks. He registered the highlanders’ first shot on target in the 18th minute but it was straight at Graham Stack in the Kerala goal and caused no trouble whatsoever for the Blasters’ shot-stopper. Seityasen pushed Rino Anto to his limits in the first half and the 24-year-old came out on top quite a few times after taking on the Bengaluru FC right-back.
Rino even shifted flanks with Sandesh Jhingan due to Seityasen’s constant challenge down the right wing.
However, the Indian international, who scored the opening goal in their last game against Delhi Dynamos would be gutted that he couldn’t find the finishing touch in the final third. The winger blasted a shot way over the goal when a loose ball fell nicely to him just outside the penalty area in the dying minutes of the first half.
#4 NorthEast United left to rue their missed chances
NorthEast United had the majority of the possession in the game while Kerala were happy to let them have all of it, thanks to their lacklustre finishing in the final third. NorthEast managed 13 shots in the game but they could only keep three on target. Both teams did not manage to convert the bulk of the chances they created and the game lacked quality in the final third. But, NorthEast would feel that an opening goal would have changed the dimension of the game and put the home team under pressure.
The highlanders failed to do justice to their possession and could not deliver any end-product whatsoever to their attacking movements. The midfielders also tried their luck from way out but it was rushed a little too much and failed to even force a save from Stack in the Kerala goal.
#3 Graham Stack was brilliant in goal for Kerala
Stack was easily one of Kerala’s best players on the night and bailed them out quite a few times with his timely interceptions and vital saves. The 35-year-old showed great composure and produced a calm mind between the goal for the blasters. Stack showed excellent command from set-pieces and kept a clean sheet, his first of the season. He put away his previous miseries of the season after conceding nine goals in his first four appearances for the men in yellow with this performance and surely looks like he has won the gaffer’s faith.
Even though NorthEast did not pose any huge challenge to him throughout the game, Stack was good whenever he was called upon to save his side’s blushes.
#2 Hengbart and the back four looked solid yet again
Cedric Hengbart was yet again pivotal at the heart of the Kerala defence alongside captain and marquee signing Aaron Hughes. The Kerala defenders were happy to sit back and let NorthEast come at them and were also successful in preventing them from scoring. The back four worked together effectively under the guidance of Hengbart and Hughes, showed no signs of switching off throughout the 90 minutes.
Pratik Chowdhury who came on just after the hour mark for Rino Anto had a slightly disappointing night. However he, also looked confident on and off the ball. Kerala were missing a vital player in the form of Josu due to an injury but his comeback to the line-up will only add to their strengths at the back.
#1 CK Vineeth is the man of the moment for Kerala yet again
Local boy CK Vineeth was yet again the hero for Kerala after he scored the all-important goal for the Blasters against NorthEast. The Bengaluru FC man produced a moment of individual brilliance when he scored in the 66th minute after cutting infield from the left flank and driving a skidded shot past Rehenesh and into the far corner of the NorthEast goal.
The 28-year-old was also lively towards the end of the second half when Kerala created their best chances. He threatened Rehenesh yet again in the 80th minute with a shot to the near post but the keeper did well to get down and prevent him from grabbing a second goal. Vineeth also contributed defensively in the first half whenever he was forced to track back and help out his full backs.
