Kerala sink Pune to edge closer to ISL playoffs

Vipin Pawar/ISL/SPORTZPICS

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Kerala Blasters beat a hapless FC Pune City 2-1 with two first-time scorers on the score-sheet, as they came within striking distance of making the playoffs.

Goals from Duckens Nazon and Aaron Hughes either side of half-time gave Kerala their fourth successive home win, the first  time any team has achieved this feat in ISL history. Pune scored in the 94th minute through a free-kick from Anibal, but it was too late for the visitors to mount a comeback.

Pune are still in with a chance of making the playoffs, but they have to win their remaining game against Atletico de Kolkata and hope other results go their way. 

Kerala now move to third in the table and with just two games to go, their chances of making the playoffs look bright. Kerala looked solid throughout the game, especially after a poor performance in their previous encounter against Mumbai City FC, who scored five past them.  

The home team were in cruise control after the first goal, although Pune had most of the ball. Kerala were always dangerous on the counter, with the trio of CK Vineeth, Nazon and Kervens Belfort keeping the Pune defence on their toes. If wasn't for Pune's keeper Edel Bete making several important stops, Kerala could have been out of sight before the first half. 

Kerala's head coach Steve Coppell picked Nazon up front with Rafi on the right and Vineeth on the left. Hughes also returned to the starting line-up in place for Rino Anto and Sandesh Jhinghan was moved to the right. Pune started with Momar Ndoye on the bench and Gustavo Oberman was given the green light on the wings.

Kerala's opening goal came following a goal-kick from Edel. The full-back Josu headed the ball on to the path of Nazon, who rushed goal-wards, passed both Dharmaraj Ravanan and Gouramangi Singh, and scored past an onrushing Bete from close range. Both defenders went too early on the challenge and Nazon's pace and touch earned him his first goal of the season. 

Kerala spurned two great chances to double their lead before the break. The first opportunity came when Jhinghan's clearance fell to Anibal inside the box, and Anibal, after dancing across Cedric Hengbart, put in a nice cross from the left. Arata, from the center of the box, met the ball with a perfect jump, but instead of heading it downwards, he directed the over above the bar. 

The hosts had another chance when Pitu's free-kick from the right flank was careless handled by Kerala keeper Sandip Nandy. His directed punch failed and the ball almost fell to Arata, whose headed attempt a yard from goal was somehow cleared off the line. 

Pune made an attacking change in the second half by bringing on Ndoye for Oberman, and Ndoye made an instant impact, bursting through the left and finding an unmarked Anibal near the box. Anibal, though, took one touch too many to spurn a decent opportunity.

Pune paid for that miss as Kerala doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Vineeth crossed for Aaron Hughes to head in easily. After a dangerous counterattacking move which was saved by Bete, the resulting corner wasn't cleared and Vineeth, who got the ball on the left, crossed perfectly to an unmarked Hughes at the far post. 

Antonio German, who came on for the goal-scorer Nazon, and Vineeth both had chances to make it three, but Edel just about kept Pune in the game.

Deep in stoppage time, Jhinghan fouled Dramane Traore on the edge of the box and Anibal stepped up to score a consolation goal for the visitors with a free-kick to the top right corner. It was too little too late though, as Kerala ran away deserved winners in front of another record crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.