Aizawl FC and Gokulam Kerala FC settled for a 1-1 draw in an I-League encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl on Saturday.
The draw meant Aizawl is in fourth place in the I-League table with 18 points from 10 matches, including five wins, three draws and two losses. The Malabarians occupy the sixth spot with 14 points from 10 matches having won three games, drawn five and lost two.
Lalbiakdika helped Aizawl take the lead in the 31st minute before Gokulam Kerala captain Alejandro Sanchez Lopez scored the equaliser in the added minutes of the first half, making him the current top-scorer of the tournament with 10 goals.
Aizawl’s lead was initiated by Lalthankhuma, who found K Lalrinfela on the right wing with a through pass. Lalrinfela executed a deceptive body feint to outmaneuver a Gokulam Kerala defender and sent a well-directed low cross into the box. Lalbiakdika timed his run perfectly, meeting the ball in the penalty area and scoring with a well-crafted shot.
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Gokulam Kerala responded with the equaliser through a patient build up, stringing together several passes. The moment of brilliance came from Muhammed Saheef, who delivered a curled cross from the left wing. Alejandro Sanchez Lopez found a gap between Aizawl’s defenders and leapt to head the ball into the net.
After the break, Aizawl started in the same attacking vein but couldn’t threaten much as Kerala neautralised Lalrinzuala’s threat.
The Malabarians, on the other hand, settled into the match nicely and created a number of opportunities in the second half. But an alert Aizawl goalkeeper Nora Fernandes ensured that the scoreline remained 1-1.
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