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Gokulam Kerala FC beat RoundGlass Punjab FC 2-0 in their Phase 2 opener of the I-League at the Kalyani Stadium on Saturday, 23 April.
The two sides also faced each other recently for the final match of Phase 1 in which the Malabarians came out on top. They beat the Warriors 3-1 and kept themselves at the top of the table.
Vicenzo Annese's side have been a threat to everyone in the league this season. The Italian coach expects his side to continue their pursuit of retaining their crown.
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The teams kicked it off at the Kalyani Stadium with Gokulam Kerala FC knocking on the doors of RoundGlass Punjab FC from the very first minute. However, the Warriors were swift to go on the break but failed to make a mark in the opposition box.
Maheson Singh Tongbram could have netted the first goal as early as the third minute and changed the complexion of the encounter. Hoewever, the young midfielder failed to hit the target on this occasion and later on as well.
The Malabarians opted to start their attacking phase by building from the back. Midfielder Sharif Mohammad dropped in between the centre-backs during goal-kicks. Alex Saji pushed forward for the Malabarians, targeting his vertical passes towards forward Jourdaine Fletcher.
Both teams steadily grew into the game, imbibing their ideologies in it. Travis Major, who was deployed on the left flank, dribbled past a few defenders on the wing. However, the defenders cleared the ball easily as he entered the box.
Gokulam Kerala FC had their first goal from the counter attack in the 16th minute. Kean Lewis eased a corner to Beitia, who whipped a cross into the box. The move was noticed by Rakshit Dagar, who managed to grip the ball before throwing it to Emil Benny. Benny found Jithin making a forward run. Jithin eased it off to Fletcher, who took a touch to make some space for himself before launching his grounder.
The Warriors had more of the possession but failed to make any impact in breaching Gokulam Kerala FC's low block. The Malabarians defended their box in numbers during set-pieces. The half ended with Vincenzo Annese's side in the driver's seat.
Gokulam Kerala FC add a second goal, rattle RoundGlass Punjab FC's hopes
The two teams played the second half in the same manner as the first. RoundGlass Punjab FC moved the ball around the pitch orchestrated by Joseba Beitia. But the side made no advancement in the final third due to resilient defending by Gokulam Kerala FC. Josef Yarney tried his luck from distance but the defender's strike was dealt with by Rakshit Dagar.
Sumeet Passi delivered an accurate cross into the box moments later that found Travis Major. But the Australian winger's header was inches wide and did not trouble Dagar.
Towards the end of the game, Vincenzo Annese's side scored another goal to take the encounter away from the reach of their opponents. The attack was initiated by Jourdaine Fletcher on the left flank. The final ball fell to Sreekuttan, who took a touch to beat the defender and then struck hard with his left foot. Although Jaspreet got his hands on the ball, the RoundGlass Punjab FC custodian was unable to clear the danger.
The game ended 2-0 in favor of the Malabarians. The Warriors will now have to get back to the drawing board and assess their possibilities for a turnaround.
