Four first-half goals were shared between Kerala Blasters and FC Goa at the Tilak Maidan on Sunday night as the two teams played out a 2-2 draw. Elsewhere, Chennaiyin leapfrogged Jamshedpur FC in the table by beating them 1-0.
FC Goa came from two goals down to rescue a point against Kerala Blasters, with all four goals of the Sunday night game being scored within the first forty-five minutes. Blasters took the lead in the tenth minute through Jeakson Singh as he headed in an Adrian Luna delivery from a corner past Dheeraj Singh in the Goa goal.
Ten minutes later, Luna scored a stunner to put KBFC two-up. Allowed to shoot from distance, the Uruguayan’s strike dipped at the last moment beyond Dheeraj and went in off the post.
Just as the Blasters looked to be cruising towards a comfortable win, Jorge Ortiz pulled a goal back with a sensational effort. The Goa attacker set himself up by flicking a Saviour Gama pass into space, swivelled away from his marker, and scored with a shot from outside the box. The Gaurs were level in the 38th minute through Edu Bedia, who beat Prabhsukhan Gill directly from a corner.
Kerala were denied a stonewall penalty in the 57th minute. Ortiz, brought down inside the box by Bijoy Varghese as the two tussled for the ball, was booked by the referee for simulation instead. Bedia hit the bar with his free-kick later – and the two teams settled for a point.
Later, at the GMC Athletic Stadium, Chennaiyin FC beat Jamshedpur FC 1-0 to leapfrog the Red Miners in the Indian Super League table.
A goal from striker Lukasz Gikiewicz in the 31st minute – a header off a Vladimir Koman delivery – meant that JFC were left without a win for the third game running.
Owen Coyle’s men created plenty to rescue a point in the second half, however. Greg Stewart and Jordan Murray had their efforts blocked while substitute Ishan Pandita missed a tap-in from close range late on, as Chennaiyin held onto the three points.
