Victory tastes particularly sweet after a long wait. It is even sweeter when it comes at a critical juncture of a difficult campaign, as Hyderabad FC found out on Tuesday night.
The 4-0 victory against Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) clash at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Goa could not indeed have come at a better time for Hyderabad.
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All the goals came in the second half. After Fran Sandaza struck twice, Aridane Santana and Joao Victor completed the rout.
The thumping win has taken Hyderabad's tally to 27 points and to the third spot in the ISL table, behind ATK Mohun Bagan (36) and Mumbai City (34).
The team is well placed now to take one of the two remaining playoff spots available. As for Blasters, it remains second from the bottom with 16 points.
The men from Kochi had begun well though, as they forced a couple of corners within 13 minutes. But they lacked sharpness in the final third and clearly missed Sahal Abdul Samad, who has been one of their busiest men on the field this season. In the opening half, Blasters also missed the services of K. P. Rahul, who came on only in the second half.
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And it proved a horrible second half for Blasters, which was once again guilty of poor defending. Bakary Kone's failure to clear a dangerous long ball away from Joel Chianese paved the way for the first goal. Kone's defensive partner, Costa Nhamoinesu fared hardly any better as he allowed Sandaza to slot the ball home.
The Spanish striker struck again five minuter later, this time from the penalty spot; goalkeeper Albino Gomez had brought down Joel Chianese to give away a spot-kick.
Hyderabad scored two more goals towards the end of the game, with both goals coming from well-taken free-kicks by substitute Lluis Sastre. Santana nodded home Sastre's long ball to score the third, while he laid it for Victor for the fourth.
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