ISL 2023-24: Kerala Blasters too Good For Punjab FC as League Debutant’s Wait for Maiden Win Continues

Punjab FC returned to their home ground after more than a month but their fate didn’t change much as Kerala Blasters pulled off a gritty 1-0 win over at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. It was Punjab’s home but Kerala Blasters fans made their presence felt with loud chants throughout the match. The Manjappada fan club came in big numbers to support their team as they overshadowed the dhols tune from Punjab fans’ stand.

The two teams played a gritty first half where they both created chances, it was Punjab who created the first big chance of the match with a left-footed attempt from Krishnananda Singh from a tough angle in the 9th minute. Punjab continued to put pressure on the second-placed Blasters by winning a free-kick in the 14th minute of the game. Despite some creative play in the midfield, Punjab failed to take advantage due to the lacklustre work in front of the goal as they missed chance after chance.

ALSO READ| ISL: Bengaluru FC Appoint Gerard Zaragoza as New Head Coach

However, Blasters, who were missing key players in their starting line-up, patiently waited for the opportunities with some top show from their goalkeeper Sachin A Suresh – he was ready to take the risk by coming out of the box which is not a usual trait for a goalkeeper, especially in ISL. He was not shying away to kick the ball from outside the box irrespective of the Punjab attackers’ attempt to charge towards him.

The absence of Adrian Luna also made Blasters’ attack look a bit scratchy but as the game processed they managed to find the momentum.

The first half ended goalless but the fans witnessed a competitive 45 minutes of football.

However, Kerala levelled up their game in the second half as Mohammed Aimen won the penalty in the 49th minute and Dimitrios Diamantakos converted it from the spot which made Kerala fans go berserk as the more than empty JLN was echoed by their loud chants.

After the goal, Kerala created some back-to-back chances which shocked Punjab as they looked scattered on the pitch but the goalpost came to their rescue to avoid more humiliation in front of home fans.

In the 55th minute, Vibin Mohanan hit the left post with a right-footed shot from outside the box from a direct free kick which made Punjab nervous as Blasters mercilessly made back-to-back attempts.

ALSO READ| AIFF Allows ISL and I-League Clubs to Play Kalinga Super Cup With Up to 6 Foreign Players

Punjab made Kerala fans nervous in the final minutes of the game as they were all charged up on the counter-attacks and did cause some problems. But the Blasters’ backline didn’t allow them to grab any points.

It was Punjab’s first loss on their home soil as they are yet to open their account on the points table. However, the fight they put up against Blasters is only going to boost their confidence.

Meanwhile, the Blasters remained in the second spot on the points table with the crucial win but the big onus for their win should go to their fans who silenced the home crowd for the majority of the game. The Kerala players also acknowledged the massive support from the fans as they went towards the fans and celebrated the win with them.