Gokulam Kerala Fc managed to pull out their first win of the season in a seven-goal showdown, defeating RoundGlass Punjab FC by 4-3 in the I-league.
RoundGlass Punjab FC managed to score three goals in the first half thanks to Chencho Gyeltshen’s brace which gave Punjab a two-goal lead in the first half.
But Dennis Antwi stole the limelight from Gyeltshen as Gokulam Kerala FC came from two goals down to earn a remarkable 4-3 win.
Gokulam Kerala FC 4-3 RoundGlass Punjab FC TEAM NEWS:
Kerala’s head coach Vincenzo Annese used the 4-4-2 as their formation keeping P Adjah and D Antwi as the attacking duo upfront which worked as both scored for their team.
Punjab’s head coach Curtis Fleming also went with the same formation 4-4-2 with the same squad which faced Aizawl FC. J Murmu and C Gyeltshen were the two centre-forwards.
Gokulam Kerala FC 4-3 RoundGlass Punjab FC POST-MATCH ANALYSIS:
After losing their first match against Chennai City in a hard-fought defeat, Vincenzo Annese continued to implement his efforts to get the team used to a more passing-heavy and spatially aware style of play.
Many Gokulam FC players who were new to this kind of gameplay made mistakes early on which gave Punjab FC, who had a robust attack led by Bhutanese international Chencho Gyeltshen, to pounce early on.
Within the first twenty-five minutes, Chencho had scored twice. Although Adjah got a goal back to keep Gokulam Kerala FC in the game, but soon after Nongrum restored Punjab’s cushion by scoring another goal for Punjab FC.
Right after the second half began Antwi got a chance to score from the spot which got denied by Limbu’s brilliance. However, Kerala saw this as a sign of their improved dominance over the game and redoubled their efforts. And just before the Seventy-minute mark, Antwi managed to score with a brilliant header.
Within minutes, Antwi struck again, this time with a brilliantly executed shot towards the corner of the post that left the keeper with no chance. Suddenly, the match was tied 3-3 and due to tremendous pressure Anwar Ali, who had come on as a second-half substitute, ended up conceding an own goal that put Kerala 4-3.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Chencho Gyeltshen: Despite losing the match, Chencho displayed the rivals how much of a threat he can be in front of the goal with his on-point finishing and attacking prowess.
Denny Antwi: Antwi’s brace snatched the game from Punjab’s hands and gave Kerala the motivation they needed to win at the moment. both goals changed the fate of the game and shifted the momentum towards Kerala.
Punjab will face Churchill Brothers this Thursday at Salt Lake Stadium, Gokulam Kerala will play against Aizawl FC this Wednesday at Kishore Bharati Kirangan.
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