Rajesh''s header sinks Minerva’s hopes

Kozhikode, November 18 

Rajesh S scored in the 60th minute to help Gokulam Kerala FC beat defending champions Minerva Punjab FC by a solitary goal in the I-League football tournament here on Sunday. 

The win, Gokulam's second of the campaign, takes them to eight points from five games, five behind table toppers Chennai City FC and two clear of third placed holders East Bengal. Minerva on the other hand moved down to the eighth position with four points from four games. 

Bino George, the Gokulam coach, fielded an unchanged starting eleven while Minerva's Irish strategist Paul Munster gave youngster Laltunmang Haokip a start in place of Moinuddin. Haokip though played for only first 30 minutes was replaced by Akash Sangwan thereafter.

With four forwards listed on the score sheet, Bino's intentions were clear although Minerva's Bala Dahir had the first shot at goal as early as the third minute. The hosts were quick to respond with a couple of quick attacks but all in all it was a half which lacked creativity in the attacking third throughout. The match was halted for nearly 21 minutes owing to a malfunctioning floodlight.

 The best chance of the first half came to Minerva's Nigerian winger Donatus Edafe in the 44th minute, when a wonderful cross from Souvik Das from the right flank found him with a free-header but he missed the mark. 

Apart from that and the two yellow cards that Akashdeep and Philip Njoku picked up for the visitors, there was hardly anything of note as the half ended goalless. 

The second half was as insipid as the first and it was the visitors who looked more intent at finding a goal and were dominating the attacking play. Quietly against the run of play, it was the home side who took the lead in the 60th minute through Rajesh. 

It was Suhair who started the move, playing on Gani Nigam inside the box on the right. The youngster surged ahead and floated in a cross which beat Bhaskar Roy in the Minerva goal on the near post and Rajesh was there to meet it with a compact header. The goal brought some life back into the game and both the coaches also started making their moves. Gani was taken off two minutes later and Pritam Singh was brought in by George.

Paul Munster also did not lose any time to get in Ivorian forward Alexander Kouassi in place of Nigerian defensive midfielder Dahir and later in the 83rd minute Sabeeth in place of defender Souvik Das. 

Minerva did try desperately for an equaliser towards the end.  Kouassi's powerful shot in the 86th minute was kept out of danger by Shibinraj in the Gokulam goal and Arashpreet's effort from a William Opoku corner also missed the target. Gokulam also had some gilt-edged opportunities to increase their lead but Antonio German and Abhishek Das were guilty of misses. Minerva will now take on hosts Shillong Lajong on November 23 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. — PTI