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Indian Arrows played host to Aizawl FC at the Naihati Stadium. Yan Law's side faced a narrow defeat against Kenkre FC in their last encounter and were looking at this clash as a means to get back to winning ways.
Meanwhile, Shanmugam Venkatesh's side managed to come away with only a point against TRAU FC. Despite playing some quality football, Venkatesh's side have not produced many goals and as a result have fallen short of their opponents on many occasions.
This particular fixture kicked off with both teams attempting to move the ball around. Aizawl FC pressed actively during the initial stages of the match, playing a high line and closing down on the Indian Arrows' centre-backs.
Their quick retention of possession almost rewarded them with an early goal. Law's side won the ball back from an Arrows throw-in and Ramhlunchunga delivered a right-footed cross from near the left flank. Dipanda Dicka got his head on the ball but Syed Zahid managed to block the attempt.
As the half progressed, the Indian Arrows showed quality during their defensive transitions. The side managed to retain the ball in the opposition's half, initially delaying their build-up and then closing down the player in possession.
The People's Club showed flashes of brilliance in the opposition's box. Willis Plaza combined with Dicka but failed to place his shot and aimed it straight at the goalkeeper.
Both teams looked fragile at the back, but the ineffectiveness and indecisiveness of the forwards kept the match goalless. Parthib Gogoi had the chance to break the deadlock but Lalmuansanga rushed out of his position and cleared the danger.
Indian Arrows were compact centrally and blocked the passing channels of Aizawl FC. Venkatesh's side closed the wingers when Law's side tried progressing the ball from the flanks. But even with the entire organization leading up to the final third, the sides lacked the extra edge in front of goal.
The Arrows scored their goal in the 41st minute. Sayan Das spotted Parthib Gogoi's run and eased the ball into his path. Parthib attempted to shoot across the goal.
The loose ball fell to Taison Singh, who scored with nobody marking him. Parthib played an active role in the move that followed the goal. He tried setting up his teammate Brijesh for another goal but the move was intercepted by Lalmuansanga, who came off his line to stop the move.
At the other end, Dicka dropped to the middle third to pick up a pass and ran through the central channel before combining with Willis Plaza. He then got past the goalkeeper and turned the ball into an open net.
Aizawl FC sneak past Indian Arrows
The second half witnessed a similar approach from the teams. However, Aizawl FC's centre-back Bakhtiyor Qalandarov made a few errors while his side had possession and allowed Indian Arrows to capitalize on his mistakes. However, the Tajik central defender was responsible for his side's winning goal.
He played a long diagonal ball from his half that broke past the Indian Arrows' defensive setup and was picked up by David Lalhlansanga. David managed to push the ball over the line after wrong-footing Syed Zahid.
Despite Shanmugam Venkatesh's side playing a more attractive brand of football, two moments of brilliance caught his side off-guard and handed victory to Yan Law's side.
