ISL 2015: NorthEast United 1-4 Kerala Blasters

A dominant Kerala Blasters swept aside NorthEast United 4-1, keeping their hopes of a top 4 finish still alive. Chris Dagnall scored a brace that included the fastest goal of ISL season 2 while Antonio German and Cavin Lobo also got on the scoresheet for the Yellow Brigade. Nicolás Vélez scored the only consolation goal for NorthEast United in the final minutes.With the loss, the hosts missed out on a chance to go top and one point clear of FC Goa. Here are the major talking points from match number 38 of the Hero Indian Super League.

#1 Lightning fast start for Kerala Blasters

Chris Dagnall fastest goal ISL — Chris Dagnall scored the fastest goal in ISL (Image courtesy of ISL)

Fumes from the usual pyrotechnics at kickoff had hardly settled down at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati, when Kerala Blasters drew first blood. It took just 29 seconds for Chris Dagnall to make the net bulge, tapping home from point-blank range courtesy of an Antonio German cross.

The goal stunned the home supporters who were hoping to see their team go top of the standings and as for coach Cesar Farias, things went horribly wrong from thereon.

The relentless pressure from Kerala Blasters that followed soon paid dividends in the 21st minute when Cavin Lobo broke loose from the offside trap and slotted a second past NorthEast keeper Rehenesh TP.

The lightning fast start for Kerala pretty much set the tempo for the rest of the game as the Blasters were very dominant throughout the 90 minutes of the game.

#2 Dagnall joins Golden Boot race with stellar performance

Dagnall celebrates his goal (Image courtesy of ISL)

Chris Dagnall was on song when he produced a stellar performance at Guwahati, finding the back of the net twice with two well-taken goals. The Englishman popped up to rally home Antonio German’s low slung cross for his first and rounded off his brace with a brilliant solo run and finish in the 75th minute.

Dagnall was in the thick of all the action in the attacking third and toiled hard for 90 minutes getting on the end of crosses, winning aerial duels and passing the ball with accuracy. The former Bradford City and Coventry City striker heated up the race for the Golden Boot with his double, taking him to second in top scorers standings with 5 goals, just one behind Chennaiyin FC’s Stiven Mendoza and Mumbai City FC’s Sunil Chhetri.

Despite the slow start to life in the Indian Super League, Dagnall seems to have found his feet and is now a serious competitor to take home the individual honour.

#3 Poor defensive display from NorthEast again

Cesar Farias’ NorthEast United, who were destroyed 5-1 by Mumbai City earlier in the campaign, were handed a similar drubbing for the second time this season courtesy of the Kerala Blasters. The NorthEast defence were in shambles for the majority of 90 minutes and were duly punished by the adamant Blasters.

Centre-backs Carlos Lopez and Cedric Hengbart were at sixes and sevens at the heart of the Highlanders’ defensive unit, never getting a grip on proceedings while the domestic full-back pair of Khongjee and Robin Gurung failed to impress from the flanks as an endless surge of yellow shirts kept coming at the non-existent United spearheaded by likes of Antonio German and Chris Dagnall.

The result leaves United boss Cesar Farias with a lot of work to do in the training ground, especially in the defensive department. The Venezuelan will have to go back to the drawing and work out a way to put an end to such atrocious defensive performances.

#4 Nicolas Velez showcases his quality

Earlier this season, when the sides met at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Kochi, Nicolás Vélez pulled off a sublime effort which was unfortunately only a consolation goal for NorthEast, on a day when they were convincingly beaten 3-1 by Kerala. It was a very similar story for Vélez yet again when he showcased his individual brilliance with a solo effort for NorthEast’s only goal of the match.

Vélez picked up the ball inside the 18-yard box and skilfully turned Blasters’ right back Rahul Bheke with some neat footwork and finished with a powerful low shot near post that deflected off goal keeper Stephen Bywater.

The Argentine, who has not found it easy to make it into Cesar Farias’ starting eleven this season for NorthEast, made a case with this dazzling effort. After the 25-year-old’s third goal of the season, he will undoubtedly be one of the first names on the team sheet when the Highlanders host Mumbai City on 20 November.

#5 Kerala Blasters keep their slender hopes alive

Kerala Blasters went into the game knowing that anything less than a win could have ended their season, ruling them out of the equation for a top 4 finish. However, the three hard earned points keep the Blasters still in the competition, lifting them up to 7th spot in the table. With 4 games remaining, the possibility of a photo finish is still intact.

The Blasters, who now have some wind in their sails, have a run of two away games at Chennai and Mumbai before they return to their fortress in Kochi to host FC Goa in the last home game of the season.

Terry Phelan, under whom Kerala Blasters have been mightily impressive, now has to prep his team to face arch rivals Chennaiyin FC for a southern derby on 21 November at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.