Football
ISL 2019: Five star Kerala Blasters blow away Hyderabad FC
Kerala Blasters kept their season alive with a dominating 5-1 win over Hyderabad FC in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi on Sunday. Hyderabad FC drew first blood but the home side remained the better side for the rest of the game to go two places up the table.
Hyderabad FC took an early lead when Abhishek Haldar found Marcelinho on the left side with a through ball splitting apart the Kerala defence. The Spaniard squared down a pin-point ball to Bobo who tapped it home into the back of an empty net in the 14th Minute. Hyderabad FC came close to scoring on a couple of occasions in the next few minutes but failed to find their scoring boots.
Kerala Blasters slowed down the Hyderabad FC momentum and started to use the two wings in tandem. The home side equalised in the 34th minute when Mouhamadou Gning found Bartholomew Ogbeche with a defence-splitting ball from the middle of the pitch. The Nigerian beat the offside trap, rounded-off around a hapless Hyderabad FC goalkeeper and slot it home. The home side scored again in five minutes when a brilliantly crafted training-pitch move went into the goal. A corner was taken short and passed quickly thrice which allowed Seityasen Singh to drive the ball into the danger area. The ball landed up with Vlatko Dobarov and boomeranged into the back of the net.
The Kerala Blasters onslaught continued to maraud a very indisciplined Hyderabad FC. Messi Bouli made it 3-1 just at the cusp of half-time. Rehenesh TP with the initial long ball found Bouli who won the aerial duel and headed the ball to Ogbeche. Ogbeche played the ball down to Holicharan Narzary in the left who set up Bouli again on a platter who slot it home as the Hyderabad defence looked helpless.
The second-half did not slow down the matters as far as Kerala Blasters were concerned. Laxmikant Kattimani who was given a chance ahead of Kamaljit Singh at the goal made a mess of things when a harmless long-distance attempt from Seityasen Singh slipped through his hands into the back of the net, making it an unassailable 4-1 lead in favour of the hosts. Hyderabad FC never looked settled in the game and were totally scattered across the pitch. The home side made it 5-1 as Messi Bouli found Bartholomew Ogbeche in the box in the 74th minute who slotted it home. Kerala Blasters got more chances to extend their lead but could not end the game with a gigantic scoreline of 5-1.
Kerala Blasters moved to 7th in the standings while Hyderabad stay at the bottom. Kerala Blasters visit ATK on 12 January while Hyderabad host Chennaiyin on 10 January.