ISL 2016 | ATK qualify with draw; Kerala need another point

Kerala Blasters needed a win to jump closer to playoffs and they got a perfect start in the eighth minute when their star man, CK Vineeth, provided them with a lucky lead. A cross from the left by Mehtab Hossain should have been collected cleanly by Kolkata goalkeeper Debjit Majumder but the goalkeeper made a mess of the collection, dropping the ball to the ground where Cedric Hengbart turned it away from the group for Vineeth to head it into an empty goal.

The goal upset Kolkata’s rhythm but soon they regained their composure, holding on to the ball for long spells and threatening their rivals with swift play. Ten minutes later, Kolkata drew level through Stephen Pearson in one of the more impressive team goals scored in ISL. It was Helder Postiga and Iain Hume who laid the foundations for this goal as they played a nice one-two among themselves and before the Kerala defence realized what was to follow, Postiga sent a through ball for Pearson who made a perfect run and slammed the ball past goalkeeper Graham Stack.

Kerala’s numbers of attacks in the first quarter were impressive but they could not score more than a goal. They came close in the closing stages of the first session when Josu Prieto’s cross from the left saw Elhadji Ndoye with a free header but the Senegalese midfielder could not keep it on target. Another free header by Mohammad Rafi in the 43rd minute was wide of the target.