The battle of the North East between Aizawl FC and TRAU for a spot in the Group Stages of the Super Cup turned out to be an interesting encounter, with the former having the last laugh at the Payyanad Stadium.
It was more of a seesaw fight, but a goal in the 64th minute by Belarusian striker Ivan Veras made all the difference leaving Aizawl FC the 1-0 winners.
IPL 2023: Orange Cap Complete List of Batters with Most Runs, Check here
Aizawl FC, the People’s Club, appeared to be the better of the two teams in the early stages, making several inroads into the rival area. They had more than one attempt on target in the first half, but somehow couldn’t find the back of the net. While they were definitely unlucky on a few occasions, their strikers, too, didn’t do their team any favours by failing to take advantage of some of the opportunities that came their way.
On the other hand, TRAU FC too made a couple of breakthroughs, but couldn’t capitalise on either. Aizawl’s early chance came in the 12th minute when Nigerian defender Emmanuel Olugbena’s shot went off-target from inside the box.
After finishing 0-0 in the first 45 minutes, the two sides made strategic changes to come back strong in the second session. Once they returned to the pitch, both teams altered their tactics with quick substitutions.
In the 64th minute, Chhantea Sailo found space on the right flank and delivered a measured cross inside the box. His shot was saved by the opposition keeper Lunkhominlenmang Jedidi, but Ivan Veras was quick to react on the rebound and found the back of the net to give his side a lead that turned out to be the decisive goal in the end.
Having fallen behind, TRAU FC were expected to hit back with all their might, but, strangely enough, they continued to struggle for the most part of the second half, failing to break down Aizawl’s resolute defence. Aizawl FC should definitely be happy with the victory – it not only took them to the Group Stages of the Super Cup but also gave them their first win over TRAU this season. In the I-League, the first clash between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw, while TRAU were clear 3-1 winners when they hosted the match.
Churchill Brothers Rout Real Kashmir
The last spot in the Group Stages of the Super Cup was snatched away in style by Goa giants Churchill Brothers when they earned a resounding 6-0 victory over Real Kashmir at the Payyanad Stadium.
Liberian striker Ansumana Kromah was the star performer with four goals against his name.
While the ardent fans of the two teams would remember them engaging in highly spirited rivalry in the I-League only a few months ago, Thursday’s knock-out encounter was a complete contradiction, with Churchill Bothers enjoying total control over the proceedings.
The competitive edge of the match was more or less finished off in the first half itself, when the winners raced to a 3-0 lead before the referee blew for the breather. The scenario hardly changed in the second half, either, as the men from Srinagar could hardly put up a fightback to avoid further embarrassment.
With Real Kashmir not displaying enough attacking flair, Churchill took the lead in the 6th minute of the match off a penalty kick. Real Kashmir goalkeeper Imran Arshad committed the blunder of bringing down Churchill midfielder Anil Rama Gaonkar inside the box and paid the penalty for it. Uruguayan striker Martin Nicolas Chavez scored from the spot with consummate ease as he placed the ball to the corner of the net with a deft strike.
Any hope of Real Kashmir making a turnaround after conceding an early goal was soon dashed as Churchill continued to attack relentlessly. While their goalkeeper Nora Fernandes hardly touched the ball, his counterpart remained a busy man under the Real Kashmir bar.
The losers certainly didn’t learn from their mistakes and conceded yet another penalty kick in the 35th minute. This time the culprit was their skipper Jestin George, who used unfair means to bring down Kingslee Fernandes inside the Srinagar team box. The penalty was converted by Liberian Ansumana Kromah.
IPL 2023 Points Table: Check Team Standings, Team Points, Wins, Losses & Orange Cap, Purple Cap
The Goan side, who, by now, were simply toying with the rival defence, struck the third goal at the stroke of halftime when Kromah scored once again – this time it was a timely header from a rebound.
After the change of ends, Real Kashmir literally caved in, almost allowing free rein to their rivals. Kromah completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute when he made the most of a pass provided by Chavez. As if to celebrate his hat-trick, the Liberian added one more to his tally in the very next minute. He appeared unstoppable as he made a solo run to put Churchill Brothers in a 5-0 lead.
Read all the Latest Sports NewsCheck OutOrange Cap and Purple Cap holder details here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
