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In the first-ever Kerala derby of its kind, high-flying Gokulam Kerala FC edged past Kerala Blasters FC in a thrilling 4-3 encounter in the Durand Cup 2023 on Sunday, August 13.
Goals from Bouba Aminou, Sreekuttan VS, Alex Sanchez, and Abhijith K decided the Group C tie, which unfolded at the Mohun Bagan ground. Although the Yellow Army pulled three goals back through Justine Emmanuel, Prabir Das, and Adrian Luna.
The Malabarians brushed away their neighboring rivals in the first half, going ahead 3-1. Soon after the break, Gokulam added another to their tally through a world-class strike from Abhijith. But reinvigorated by some changes, KBFC added a quick double to liven the tie until the final whistle.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for Kerala Blasters FC after their defeat against Gokulam Kerala FC:
Player ratings for Kerala Blasters FC
Sachin Suresh (GK) [5.5]
The KBFC custodian was at the receiving end of four goals and didn't have any significant impact in stopping any. Rather Sachin Suresh should've put a lot more conviction behind denying the opposition's third goal.
Pritam Kotal [5.0]
In what was slated to be an iconic debut, Pritam Kotal encountered an outright hammering to his confidence in the first half. The KBFC defense was extremely leaky and the veteran defender was directly involved in the second goal they conceded when he was floored by Alex Sanchez's brisk foot movement.
During his time on the pitch, he got very little respite from all the disappointment.
Bijoy Varghese [5.5]
The young center-back had a sketchy outing and that's pretty much given when your team concedes four goals. He was caught napping during a couple of defensive transitions before being substituted in the second half.
Prabir Das [6.5]
Although he did get on the scoresheet and salvaged some of the woeful defending from the first half, Prabir Das wouldn't have much to look back at from his debut match for Kerala Blasters.
Huidrom Naocha Singh [5.0]
The full-back was outmuscled and outclassed by Alex Sanchez before tapping the ball into his own net for GKFC"s third goal of the night. Even going forward, Naocha Singh was largely wasteful.
Mohammed Azhar [5.5]
Like many, he was a pedestrian throughout the night. Azhar couldn't step in with the challenges to break down the Gokulam counter-attacks.
Jeakson Singh [5.5]
The defensive midfielder had a rough start, missing a couple of regulation passes and most importantly being dunked on by Aminou Bouba on the way to Gokulam's opening goal. The poor form continued as the Kerala Blasters midfield left tonnes of gaps during transitions.
Nihal Sudeesh [6.0]
Nihal Sudeesh mostly had an uneventful night, failing to make any significant contribution in the attacking half.
Mohammed Aimen [7.0]
Among KBFC's domestic players in the starting lineup, Aimen was the clear standout. He was always sharp on the ball, took the initiative, and eventually provided an assist for Prabir Das' goal.
Justine Emmanuel [6.5]
The young forward was tenacious throughout the night and ended up scoring the opening goal for the Blasters. He also created an opportunity for Luna, which was squandered by the Uruguayan.
Adrian Luna [7.0]
Expectedly, Adrian Luna was one of the potent attacking outlets for the Kerala Blasters. His free-kick was eventually converted by Justine for the opening goal, and furthermore, the Uruguayan also got on the scoresheet himself.
SUBSTITUTES
Hormipam Ruivah [6.5]
Since coming on, he was mostly solid in defense and also rushed forward to provide numbers high up the pitch.
Rahul KP [5.5]
Yet again, it was a lot of indecision that cost Rahul KP once came on the pitch.
Bidyashagar Singh [6.5]
Despite coming on after the hour mark, Bidyashagar Singh was one of the more positive influences in the Kerala Blasters' attack. His vigor and burst of pace created Adrian Luna's goal.
Muhammed Shaheef [NA]
He wasn't on the pitch long enough to make a considerable difference.
