I-League: Gokulam Kerala pump six past Delhi FC; Aizawl draw with Churchill

Gokulam Kerala FC registered a brilliant 6-3 win over Delhi FC in the 2024-25 I-League at the EMS Corporation Stadium on Monday.

Gokulam’s half a dozen came in a game where they went down to an early goal. The win took them into the top half of the table with 22 points from 15 matches, while deepening Delhi’s woes.

The visitors are rooted to the foot of the table with just two points in their last nine games and overall 10 points after Round 15.

In a blistering start, Delhi shocked the hosts by taking an early lead when Gwgwmsar Gayary struck in the third minute of the game.

The young forward had been played into the box by a brilliant reverse pass from Samir Binong, and Gayary showed remarkable composure to finish smartly with a low shot into the far corner.

The lead didn’t last long as Gokulam equalised ten minutes later. A cut back by V Suhair fell to Martin Chaves inside the box.

The Uruguayan was brought down inside the six yard box and as the Delhi players looked around, he got back and slammed a low shot from an acute angle into the goal. The visitors had paid the price for not playing to the whistle.

Eight minutes later Gokulam took the lead, Adam Niane brilliantly heading in Ignacio Abeledo’s cross at the near post. Niane could well have had himself a hat-trick in the first half itself, missing two chances right at the end of the period when it was perhaps easier to score than most.

The Malian forward made up for those misses with a second in the 54th minute, that effectively killed the game, capitalising on a defensive mix up after Chaves’ cross had caused chaos to slam the ball home from five yards.

The pick of the goals arrived three minutes later, when Gokulam were already playing the tunes of a victory procession. Having picked up Niane’s pass inside the box, Abeledo cut past Lalmuansanga, shifted the ball on to his left foot and unleashed a brilliant curler into the far corner.

Three Delhi defenders had hit the line hoping to make a save. None had a chance.

Hridaya Jain reduced the deficit in the 64th minute, brilliantly turning in a cross from the left on the volley. it didn’t matter though as Delhi’s defence continued to capitulate.

In the 75th minute, Abeledo snuck in behind to volley a Chaves’ cross from close angle to make it five for the home side.

Cameroonian Stephane Binong scored a third for Delhi in the 81st minute, bullying Gokulam’s defenders inside the box before slamming home a loose aerial ball into the net.

Buoyed by the goal, Delhi kept coming forward in numbers searching for an improbable end to the game and at least a point from it.

Gokulam took full advantage of it as Ranjeet Pandre won the ball deep in their half before finishing smartly from outside the box to make it half a dozen for the hosts in the 90+9th minute and pocket three points.

Aizawl hold Churchill to a draw

Colombia’s Luis Rodríguez emerged as a hero on his I-League debut as his injury-time strike helped a beleaguered Aizawl FC salvage a 1-1 draw against leaders Churchill Brothers at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, on Monday.

Remarkably, it was Aizawl’s only shot on target throughout the match.

Churchill Brothers, who were left to lick their wounds after missing a host of opportunities, had taken the lead at the hour mark when South African Wayde Lekay converted a penalty to score his 10th goal of the tournament.

Churchill were reduced to ten men when Colombian defender José Luis Moreno was sent off in the 74th minute.

The draw leaves Churchill Brothers ruing what could have been a clear path to consolidating their lead at the top of the table. Instead, they now face increased pressure from their rivals after settling for a draw against an opponent who are 11th in the points table.

Churchill Brothers have 28 points from 15 matches with eight wins, four draws and three losses.

For Aizawl, the dramatic finish should provide a lot of confidence, especially when they lost 0-6 in their away fixture to Churchill Brothers last month. The Reds have 11 points from 15 matches.

Churchill Brothers approached the match with a blend of confidence and strategic caution. From the outset, they focused on building their gameplay by setting the tempo of the match.

Despite this controlled start, the Red Machines struggled to convert their dominance into tangible threats against a robust Aizawl defence.

As the match progressed, the visitors realised the need for a tactical shift to inject more dynamism into their play and opted to increase the pace of their attacks.

This change in strategy stretched the Aizawl backline and began to bear fruit around the 40th minute when midfielder Kingslee Fernandes initiated a promising attack.

He quickly threaded a pass to Sebastian Gutiérrez, who then deftly played the ball forward to Rafiq Aminu. The Ghanaian forward, known for his agility, darted past his marker to latch onto the pass before attempting a clever finish through the legs of Aizawl goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar.

However, Sardar reacted swiftly to clamp his legs shut to thwart the attempt with a crucial save.

The momentum built by Churchill Brothers continued and they nearly broke the deadlock just two minutes later. Lalliansanga Renthlei unleashed a powerful drive from distance that Sardar impressively tipped onto the woodwork, denying Churchill once again.

Aizawl FC, on the other hand, almost capitalised on a rare Churchill error right before the halftime whistle.

A misdirected clearance by Churchill goalkeeper Sayad Bin Abdul Kadir ricocheted dangerously close to Malsawmzuala Tlangte, who was in a prime position to score. However, his unintended touch sent the ball whisking past the post.

Regrouping after the interval, Aizawl looked to assert more control and shift the dynamics in their favour. Their efforts to take the upper hand, however, were undone by a lapse in judgment from their defender Zothanpuia.

His unnecessary challenge inside the penalty area on Aminu led the referee to award Churchill Brothers a penalty. Lekay stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way and slotted home to give Churchill Brothers the lead in the 60th minute.

The goal visibly deflated the Aizawl FC team and momentarily dampened their spirits. However, the dynamic of the match tilted slightly in favour of the hosts in the 74th minute when Churchill Brothers defender Jose Luis Moreno Pena received his second yellow card of the match and was sent off.

This handed Aizawl FC a numerical advantage and they made the most of it in the stoppage time. A goalmouth scramble saw the ball landing kindly at Rodríguez’s feet and the Colombian cleverly hit a grounder to score and salvage a point for his side.

Churchill tried their best to find the target through Aminu and Gutierrez but Aizawl goalkeeper and defence held firm.