I-League: Gokulam Kerala extend unbeaten run with 3-2 win over TRAU FC

Kalyani: Defending champions Gokulam Kerala extended their unbeaten run in this season’s I-League campaign to five matches with a 3-2 win over Tiddim Road Athletic Union at the Kalyani Stadium in Kalyani on Monday. An early strike from Jithin MS (2nd minute), followed by a brace from Luka Majcen (18th and 55th) saw the Malabarians get the better of TRAU FC, who registered two goals thanks to a brace from Fernandinho (8th and 56th). The win took Gokulam to the top of the I-League table. Gokulam wasted no time in taking the game to their opponents, finding an early breakthrough in the second minute of the contest. Jithin scored for the Malabarians for the third game running, as he made an undetected run into the TRAU FC box to get on the end of a cross from the left flank. TRAU goalkeeper Amrit Gope misjudged the flight of the ball and got stranded in a no man’s land, leaving Jithin with the easy task of directing the ball into the empty net. Despite trailing, TRAU FC did not lack in attacking intent and levelled the scores through Brazilian import Fernandinho in the eighth minute. After Kishan Singh had his snapshot saved by Rakshit Dagar, Fernandinho slid in to poach the rebound and bring TRAU back on level terms. The parity was to last for just 10 minutes as Gokulam’s talisman Luka Majcen put them in front once again, in the 18th minute. Majcen rose highest in the box to meet a cross from the left flank and place his header back across goal, leaving keeper Amrit Gope with no chance. Gokulam doubled their lead in the 55th minute. After playing a short corner that failed to find its mark in the box, the partially cleared ball landed at the feet of Luka Majcen. The Slovenian didn’t need a second invitation to grab the chance with both hands, unleashing a first time finish on the volley that rifled into the roof of the net. With the chips down, TRAU FC showed their fighting spirit once again with an instant response in the 56th minute. Fernando set out on a mazy dribble on the edge of the Gokulam box and bamboozled the defence to come onto his left foot and send a low drive into the far corner, thereby matching Luka Majcen for a brace each. In the second match played at the Naihati Stadium, Alocious Muthayyan struck a brace as Rajasthan United defeated Churchill Brothers 2-0 to register their second win of the season. Muthayyan scored in the 34th and 38th minutes to kill the match in the first half itself. Rajasthan United were dominating the play and were all over Churchill Brothers when the referee signalled for the cooling break. The break worked well for Rajasthan as they scored in the 34th minute, just after play resumed. Wide forward Alocious tapped in the first goal from Pedro Manzi’s shot across the line. Alocious doubled the lead and his goal tally for the game in the 38th minute as a quick free-kick by Manzi split open up the Churchill defence. Pritam Singh floated in a good ball from the right-hand side as Alocious tapped it in again.