Emdee Al-Fateh v Rebels FC
Score: Emdee Al-Fateh (3) – (2) Rebels FC)
Scorers
Emdee Al-Fateh (Zaib Sherief 8’, Shariq Sheriff 28’, Tariq Sheriff 34’)
Rebels FC (Sharath Kamath 35’, Rahul Acharya 43’)
A 5-goal thriller ended in favour of Al-Fateh with Rebels falling just short at the end. Al-Fateh started the game strongly and a lapse in Rebels’ defence from a corner saw Al-Fateh take the lead in the 8th minute via Zaib Sherief. Rebels got back into the game after going down a goal but could not find any finesse in the final third to make their midfield possession count. Kiran M was excellent in defence and his positioning often saw Rebels long balls’ countered.
The end of the first half handed Al-Fateh an added advantage going into the break when Shariq Sheriff managed to double his side’s lead. Four minutes into the second half and Al-Fateh made it 3 when Tariq Sheriff coolly slotted home the goal and game was seemingly done but a quick-fire goal from the halfway line from Sharath Kamath of Rebels put life back into his side and they were on a mission.
Rebels took control of the game after that and Rahul Acharya pulled one more back for side and with a quarter of the game to go we had a match on our hands. However, Al-Fateh tightened up the screws in defence and managed to hold on to their lead to pick up all three points.
Tariq Sheriff was outstanding on the flank while Jonathan Piers put in an efficient performance from left back. Rebels would be kicking themselves in the back for letting in an early goal, which changed the landscape of the game but their fightback in the second half should be commended although they ended up on the losing side.
Rebels are out of the title race but need to avoid dropping any more points if they are to secure a promotion spot. Al-Fateh sit atop the table with a three-point lead over Titans whom they play next!
Man of the Match: Kiran M (Emdee Al-Fateh)
FC Kudlu v FC Brunton
Score: FC Kudlu (3) – (4) FC Brunton
Scorers
FC Kudlu (Mark Nghaite 7’, 25, 29’)
FC Brunton (Mohit Ahuja 5’, 33’, Gautam Rego 10’, Sachit Sondhi 44’)
An incredible comeback from Brunton saw them turn around a 3-2 scoreline to win the game 4-3. Earlier a first half hat trick by Kudlu’s star striker Mark Nghaite handed them a one-goal lead going into halftime but Brunton managed to change things around in the second half to continue their revival as they look to avoid the drop.
Brunton have been a much-improved team in the second half of the season and having Kabeer Shetty manage things on the sidelines has played a role in it.
Kudlu have squandered their chances of a top three finish after this loss although mathematically they are still in it thanks to teams around them dropping points too. The roller coaster season continues for Kudlu and they haven’t been able to gain any momentum after picking up wins and have generally followed up those performances by dropping points.
Kudlu dominated the first half but let Brunton hit them on the counter-attack leading to the latter’s first two goals and will need tighten their defence to ensure their attacking firepower doesn’t go to waste.
Mark Nghaite has been in fine form this season but will need support from his teammates as they look to end the season on a positive note. For Brunton, Ankush Roy put in a man of the match performance with the winger picking up two assists as well as creating plenty of chances.
The forward line of Mohit, Ankush, Sachit and Gautam connected well, something that has been missing all season long and if they continue to play like this more victories should follow.
C2 FC v Mercurial FC
Score: C2 FC (0) – (0) Mercurial FC
A goalless draw between C2 FC and Mercurial FC ended the former’s title challenge but moved them up into third with teams around them dropping points. Mercurial FC executed their strategy perfectly stifling C2’s attack and barely let them into their own box. Bennet put in a man of the match performance for Mercurial in a CDM role, which saw him cover the defence well ensuring there was always an extra man on defence.
C2 FC have endured a tough spell of games and once the team that once looked favourites for the title are now scrambling around to ensure they get promoted for next season. Abhishek Jagan was excellent in defence for C2 FC and made sure Mercurial didn’t have too many chances on the counter attack.
Mercurial FC find themselves in a similar situation to last season when they were fighting relegation in Division 1 and will need to draw in all the experience they can to avoid getting relegated in consecutive seasons. Their performances, however, have been much improved over the past couple of games but with a four-point gap between them and the next highest team only wins can help them out.
C2 FC need to change their strategy with teams recently able to read their game plan ahead of time and plan accordingly. Their next game is against Diablos, who are also fighting for a promotion spot, and this is a must-win game for them if they are to remain in the top three. Mercurial come up against Garden Boys next week in what a must win game for them also.
Man of the Match: Bennet M (Mercurial FC)
FC Sparta v Titans FC
Score: FC Sparta (1) – (9) Titans FC
Scorers
FC Sparta (Vivian Pavamani 14’)
Titans FC (Akshay Shettar 7’,12’ 29’, 30’, Akshay Kukke 15’, Ashwin Ramakrishnan 24’, Yash Hemdev 33’, 57’, Nihal Hegde 60’)
Titans turned up the heat against Sparta scoring 9 goals against a side that is miserly in conceding goals. Akshay Shettar was on the top of his game scoring 4 goals and picking up the man of the match award. Other notable contributions came from Yash Hemdev, who was a force to reckon with on both ends of the pitch while Akshay Kukke and Anirush Krishnadas played their respective roles to perfection as always.
Sparta were briefly in the game when Vivian Pavamani pulled one goal back in the 14th minute to reduce Titans deficit to half but the Titans attack was in full flow this game and probably their best performance for the season. Although Akshay Shettar and Yash Hemdev were the stars of the game, the full Titans team stood up and delivered. If this game is a preview for next week’s clash with league leaders Emdee Al-Fateh we are in a firecracker of a game. Sparta followed dup their 4-0 win last week with a poor outing this week but few teams in the division can handle Titans when they play like they have.
Last week’s win for Sparta raised the morale of the team but this loss puts them in a dire situation – 3 games to go and they are four points from safety. Titans on the other hand look guaranteed for promotion this season but the title is still within their reach and that’s what they will have their eyes on. Next week’s clash against Al-Fateh will be all important not only to the two teams in question but could also potentially open up the title race or promotion spot for other teams too.
Man of the Match: Akshay Shettar (Titans FC)
Garden Boys FC v Athlos United
Score: Garden Boys FC (1) – (1) Athlos United
Scorers
Garden Boys FC (Richard Abraham 16’)
Athlos United (Srinath TV 47’)
Athlos United dropped points against a resilient Garden Boys side that almost snatched a victory but had to settle for a draw. Richard Abraham opened the scoring in the 16th minute to hand Garden Boys an unlikely lead in the first half. This was no blip though as Garden Boys genuinely looked the better side and even threatened to double their lead but Athlos United had it in them to keep the deficit to one goal only.
A win for either team would have put them in strong contention for a top three spot and although mathematically both teams are still capable of achieving that a lot of it will depend on the results of other matches. Garden Boys came into this game a well-rehearsed strategy and they executed it almost to perfection keeping the game compact and not letting too many attacking chances for Athlos.
Credit must be given to the Garden Boys keeper Sachin who picked up the man of the match award for his brave dispaly in goal, especially in the second half. Athlos did strike back in the second half however and managed to equalise thanks to Srinath TV but with less than quarter of the game to go Garden Boys shut up to pick up a point from the game.
Athlos havent’ been at their best in the past few games and another season without promotion looks likely although their never give up attitude will see them fight till the end. Garden Boys have had a better season than most expected and currently occupy one of the spots in the middle of the table but the margin for error is very slim and a couple of losses could see them back at the bottom although it looks unlikely to happen.
Man of the Match: Sachin G (Garden Boys FC)
