Phoenix FC v Sen Q
Score: Phoenix FC (3) – (2) Sen Q
Scorers
Phoenix FC (Ishan Kumar 19’, Fulgence Kouame 29’, 40’)
Sen Q (Suraj 47’, Suneet Kumar 58’)
Phoenix moved into third place defeating their direct rivals Sen Q in the opening game. The first quarter of the game was evenly matched but Phoenix had more possession but could not make use of it until Ishan Kumar opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Fulgence Kouame, who has been in top form for Phoenix added a second goal just before halftime to give Phoenix a comfortable lead going into halftime.
Phoenix went on to add a third in the 40th minute thanks to Fulgence again and the game seemed set and done but Sen Q started a comeback late in the game. Their first goal was lucky with the Phoenix goalkeeper misreading the bounce of the ball leading to Suraj’s long range shot going into the back of the net.
Sen Q went on to make some substitutions to bring in fresh energy and it worked as Phoenix were put on the back foot. Suneet Kumar pulled back one more goal for Sen Q in the 58th minute and the final minutes of the game were tense but Phoenix managed to hold onto their one goal margin to end up with all three points.
Sen Q who had started in third place before the game ended up losing out that spot to Phoenix after the loss. Phoenix’s surge was led by Fulgence Kouame and Srasoni Arnaud, who was excellent both defensively and on the attack.
Man of the Match: Srasoni Arnaud (Phoenix FC)
FC Kickers v Highflyers FC
Score: FC Kickers (4) – (0) Highflyers FC
Scorers
FC Kickers (Kenzo K 4’, Taiki 7’, Yohei 21’, Taka Ikumi 47’)
FC Kickers got off a strong start when they defeated Highflyers in a convincing manner. Kenzo opened the scoring early on in the 4th minute in a slick move that saw a pinpoint cross headed in by striker Kenzo. Soon after, Taiki scored from a free kick right outside the box to double his side's lead. As the game progressed Highflyers found themselves being pushed back deeper and a lack of counter-attacking threat kept them from scoring.
Yohei added a third in the 21st minute for Kickers who seemed well on their way to their first win with the first half not even done. Highflyers did get back into the game in the second half but didn’t capitalise on the few chances they were presented with and eventually, Highflyers added another to kill the game off completely.
Another set piece situation saw a long range free kick from Kenzo being tapped in by captain Taka with a neat back flick in the 47th minute.
With this win, Kickers are off to a strong start to their inaugural TAL campaign and will be hoping to build on it. They seem like an extremely balanced squad and have a great sense of understanding on the pitch. Highflyers are yet to pick up a win and will need to go back to the drawing board to tinker with their strategy to change things around.
Man of the Match: Kenzo K (FC Kickers)
Storm FC v Dwarka FC
Score: Storm FC (0) – (1) Dwarka FC
Scorers
Dwarka FC (Nikhil Gahlot 50’)
A gruelling affair between title rivals Storm and Dwarka ended in favour of Dwarka thanks to a late penalty. The game was evenly matched throughout and was of high intensity. This also meant that the plays were short and direct given the high pressing from both teams.
Storm had a few chances in the game, which they failed to capitalise on but credit must be given to the Dwarka defence led by Naveen Gusain who were generally well positioned throughout the game.
A late penalty call owing to a handball by a Storm player was awarded to Dwarka and top scorer Nikhil Gahlot stepped to the spot to convert a well-placed kick that went in off the post. Storm had a chance or two after that to equalise however they could not convert.
With this win, Dwarka remain the only team to have a 100% record and have bagged 4 wins in 4 games. Storm, on the other hand, would be ruing their wasted chances and their title hopes slowly seem to slipping away. Back to back losses for Storm means they have picked up only 3 points in 3 games but they do have a game in hand when compared to their title rivals at the top.
Man of the Match: Nikhil Gahlot (Dwarka FC)
Storm Youth v Delhi Student FC
Score: Storm Youth (0) – (1) Delhi Student FC
Scorers
Delhi Student FC (Deep Kaushik 45’)
Delhi Student FC picked up their first win of the season thanks to a solitary goal in the game scored by Depp Kaushik in the final quarter of the game. Storm Youth had a well-rehearsed strategy in the first half and played with 3 at the back. Although DSFC were in control of the game, the Storm defence held them off time after time.
Utkarsh Tripati was excellent in midfield for DSFC and pulled the strings from midfield throughout connecting defence with attack. While DSFC are a bunch of talented footballers they seem to be lacking cohesiveness on the pitch and were in fact a bit lucky to come away with all three points. Storm Youth have shown glimpses of potential but still have a long way to go. Sanjit who had a good game at left back in the first half was surprisingly withdrawn in the second half.
Storm changed their strategy in the second half looking to get a winner but that plan backfired with DSFC finding pockets of space and they eventually managed to get the winner thanks to Deep Kaushik who scored in the 45th minute.
Storm had chances after that to pull back the game to level terms but failed to make use of their chances and succumbed to their second defeat in as many games. This win for DSFC could be a season changer as they do have the talent to compete with the best.
Man of the Match: Utkarsh Tripati (Delhi Student FC)
Panthers FC v Wishwakings
Score: Panthers FC (1) – (7) Wishwakings
Scorers
Panthers FC (Dipesh P 24’)
Wishwakings (Ashish Tehlan 4’, 22’, 35’; Chetan Phore 5’, Rajat Vaish 16’, 26’; Pranav 29’)
A lopsided affair between Panthers and Wishwakings saw the latter score 7 past their opponents. Hat-trick hero Ashish Tehlan opened the scoring in the 4th minute before Chethan Phore quickly doubled their lead a minute later. The goals kept pouring in with Rajat Vaish adding a third in the 16th minute before Tehlan picked up his second for the day in the 22nd minute.
Panthers did pull one back thanks to Dipesh scoring in the 24th minute but the game looked like it was already done with Wishwakings looking in top form. Wishwakings came into the season with a lot of hype and they finally seem to be bringing things together.
They played with purpose and kept possession while being direct in their attack and the score line exactly displayed that. Two more goals (from Rajat and Pravan) were added before halftime and they went into the half with a 5 goal lead.
Ashish Tehlan picked up his hat-trick five minutes after the restart and that was the only goal of the second half with Panthers pulling up their socks defensively. Sanjay Basliyal played in midfield along with Rajat Vaish for Wishwakings while Prince Anthony was unlucky to not keep a clean sheet for his side.
Panthers have had a roller coaster season so far scoring 7 in their first game and conceding 7 in the second. They do have the talent to compete with the top teams in the division but they definitely need some practice together.
Man of the Match: Ashish Tehlan (Wishwakings)
Q Squad v Ultimate FC
Score: Q Squad (2) – (0) Ultimate FC
Scorers
Q Squad (Madhav Saigal 15’, Aaryan Dhingra 54’)
The final game of the day saw Q Squad defeat Ultimate FC to keep the pressure on Dwarka FC who lead the table. Q Squad sit in second in the standings and are two points off the table toppers. Ultimate FC put in a good performance defensively and were miles better than their first outing, which saw them ship in 7 goals.
Madhav Saigal scored in the 15th minute for Q Squad to hand them the lead and although they created tons of chances after that the finishing touches were way off. Credit here must be given to Harsha Hazarika, the Ultimate keeper who made a string of saves to keep his side in the game.
Q Squad were not on their best game but at the end of the day only the result matters and they did end up with the three points they needed. Aaryan Dhingra scored in the 54th minute to make sure his side did come away with all three points.
For Ultimate FC, Alex was excellent in midfield but they need to find a bit more cohesiveness in their gameplay if they are to pick up wins. Ultimate have made a few good additions to their side, which should help them in the long run. Q Squad now look like Dwarka’s closest rivals for the title but the season is still in its early stages, which means teams like Storm, Wishwakings and Kickers can't be discounted.
Man of the Match: Madhav Saigal (Q Squad)
