Kerala Blasters, the current leaders of the ISL 2023-24 season, kicked off its Kalinga Super Cup campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over I-League outfit Shillong Lajong at Kaling Pitch 1 in Bhubaneswar on January 10, Wednesday.
Kwame Peprah, the hero of the game, bagged an early brace to put the Yellow Army in the driver’s seat before Renan Paulinho’s penalty halved the deficit for the Red Dragons before the break.
Peprah scored his first goal for the club with a clinical finish in the 14th minute. He latched onto a defence-splitting pass from the ever-dangerous Dimitrios Diamantakos to put the Tuskers ahead.
Just 12 minutes later, Peprah doubled the advantage, chesting in a deflected cross from Prabir Das to leave Shillong Lajong reeling.
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However, the Red Dragons refused to go down without a fight. In the 28th minute, striker Karim was brought down in the box by Sachin Suresh, earning Shillong Lajong a penalty. Captain Renan Paulinho stepped up coolly from the spot to bring his side back into the game.
The second half started with a bang for the Blasters. Aimen, rising high in the box, met Daisuke’s inch-perfect cross from the right flank with a powerful header, putting the Blasters back in complete control in the 47th minute.
After the third goal, Kerala Blasters continued to dictate the tempo, with Diamantakos hitting the woodwork from a tight angle before Daisuke’s follow-up effort was saved by Neitho in the Shillong Lajong goal.
Despite several opportunities for further goals, Ivan Vukomanovic’s team was unable to add to its tally, making for a relatively nervy finish for the league leaders.
Ultimately, Kerala Blasters held on for the 3-1 win, taking a significant step towards the knockout stages of the Kalinga Super Cup.
While Peprah’s goalscoring exploits were the highlight of the match, Sachin Suresh’s resolute goalkeeping, especially in the final stages, ensured all three points against a spirited Shillong Lajong side.
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