Gokulam Kerala FC
opened their points tally in the
I-League
table with a stunning 4-3 comeback win over a sluggish
Punjab FC
at VYBK Kolkata on Thursday. Gokulam were trailing 1-3 in the first half that was marked by silly defensive errors from both sides.
Chencho Gyeltshen
’s quick-fire brace (18, 25 minutes) and a goal by Rupert Nongrum (44) were not enough to safeguard Punjab’s lead as Gokulam rewrote the script in the second half.
Philip Adjah had scored Gokulam’s first goal in the 26th minute. A brace from Dennis Antwi (69, 73) and an own goal by
Anwar Ali
(75) enabled a remarkable win for Gokulam.
The match was a tale of two halves. The first half belonged to Punjab while Gokulam dominated the second half. Gokulam created the most number of chances but struggled to convert them into goals in the opening 45 minutes. On the other hand, Punjab through Gyeltshen grabbed the goal-scoring opportunities they received.
Punjab's opener had come against the run of play when Gokulam were dominating possession. Gyeltshen was slyly found by a cushioned header inside the box, from a freekick, and the Bhutanese international slotted into the bottom corner. Gyeltshen had an opportunity to double the lead three minutes, but with only the goalkeeper to beat he shot over the bar.
But he soon doubled the lead and it started with a Gokulam corner. Sanju Pradhan stole possession from the Kerala half and initiated a swift counter. Pradhan played a quick pass to Gyeltshen, who was in space and he found the back of the net calmly.
Soon after Adjah's fierce strike had left Punjab goalkeeper Kiran Limbu with no choice. But Gokulam’s joy was short-lived with Nongrum scoring Punjab’s third. Gyeltshen raced on target before setting up an onrushing Nongrum who slotted it past a hapless Ubaid to make it 3-1.
After the break, it was a battle between Gokulam Kerala forwards and Punjab goalkeeper Kiran Limbu. In the 70th minute, Dennis Antwi headed home from close range off a Deepak Devrani free-kick to reduce Gokulam’s deficit. Two minutes later, Antwi used his physical prowess to latch onto a long ball, unleashing a half-volley that crashed into the back of the net to tie the match.
Three minutes later, Anwar Ali scored an own goal after he headed the ball into his net. Gokulam did not relent and tried to even double their lead. In the 86th minute, Dennis Antwi failed to capitalise from a one-on-one with Limbu. Gokulam held on to their slender lead and saw off the match, picking up an improbable win.
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