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Leh, Jan 26 (IANS) The Khelo India Winter Games 2025 men’s ice-hockey final on Monday will be a repeat of last year’s gold medal-round match. On Sunday, the Indian Army got the better of hosts Ladakh 2-1 while ITBP defeated Himachal Pradesh 3-1 to set a mouth-watering title clash at the NDS Stadium complex.

The penultimate day of the first leg of the Khelo India Winter Games 2025 brought mixed results for hosts Ladakh even as Maharashtra went past Telangana and Karnataka on the medal tally. With a gold, a silver and a bronze from their skaters on Sunday, Maharashtra lead the standings with eight medals (2 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze).

Ladakh skaters started the day on a bright note at the NDS Stadium. In the 1000m short track for women, Skarma Tsultim (2:17.91 sec) and Padma Angmo (2:21.13 sec) did a Ladakh one-two leaving Madhya Pradesh’s Udreka Singh (2:22.74 sec) third. Skarma’s maiden KIWG gold was Ladakh’s second this year.

With a total of four medals (2 gold and 2 silvers), Ladakh are joint second in the medal standings with Tamil Nadu, which won two golds -- women’s relay and men’s 500m long track -- on Sunday.

Maharashtra skaters won a gold (men’s relay), a silver (women’s relay) and a bronze (men’s 500 long track) on Sunday. Karnataka did not win any medal today but Tamil Nadu won both gold (Avikshit Vijay Viswanath) and silver (Selvakumar Muthukumar) at Gupuks Pond where the men’s 500 long track race was held.

In the afternoon session, the Indian Army became the first team to enter the final of the men’s ice hockey competition. The defending champions warded off a stiff challenge from hosts Ladakh to win a thriller 2-1. In another full house at the NDS Stadium, the Army vs Ladakh was such a fiercely contested encounter. Tempers often ran high as Ladakh enjoyed tremendous home support but the young Army men from the Ladakh Scouts Regimental centre backed their team to the hilt with trademark enthusiasm.

Much to the delight of the home fans, Ladakh opened the scoring in the 13th minute of the first period through Stanzin Lotus. The Army team, which suffered a 3-1 defeat against ITBP in a league match on Saturday, took time to settle down and faced several close calls.

The second period produced no goals but Ladakh let in two soft goals in less than a minute in the third and final period to allow Army take control of the match. Army played better as a team as the goals scored by Sherap Zangmo (32nd minute) and Tsewang Chorol (33rd minute) came off quick assists in the scoring zone.

“We lost in the last match, and realised that we needed to adopt a different strategy. Today, we implemented that strategy against the UT Team, and it worked. We were in great coordination and determined not to repeat the mistakes we made against ITBP,” said Stanzin Phande, the Army captain.

The women’s ice hockey medals will be decided on Monday after the last set of league games. ITBP and Ladakh girls are well on course for the top two spots.

--IANS

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Rourkela, Jan 26 (IANS) Arshdeep Singh proved to be the match-winner for the Hyderabad Toofans as his brace propelled them to a comprehensive 3-1 win against the UP Rudras in the Men’s Hockey India League match at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium here on Saturday. Arshdeep’s two goals (28', 60’) came after Gonzalo Peillat scored the opener in the 25th minute, while Jobanpreet Singh (40’) pulled one back for the UP Rudras.

Earlier, the Hyderabad Toofans won the game's first penalty corner via Rajinder Singh in the fifth minute. Peillat stepped up to the opportunity but could not find a way past the defence. The UP Rudras created a similar chance when Kane Russell fired a goal-bound flick but Mukul Sharma made a fine save on the goal-line. Soon after, Akashdeep Singh had an excellent chance to put the UP Rudras ahead as he had just the goalkeeper to beat but failed to convert and the first quarter ended goalless.

The Hyderabad Toofans broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Peillat lived up to his reputation as among the world’s best drag flickers. His ferocious strike took a hit off James Mazarelo’s left glove but that didn’t stop the ball from finding the back of the net. The Toofans doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Akashdeep scored a stunning goal. The 20-year-old showed great vision to steal the ball at the edge of the circle and then weaved past two defenders before smashing an unstoppable tomahawk to make it 2-0.

Holding on to a comfortable lead, the Toofans pushed ahead for a third when Sam Ward’s terrific stickwork saw him control an aerial ball and dribble his way into the box before earning a penalty corner. The Toofans could not find a goal though as Mazarelo made a couple of clutch saves to keep his side in the game. The UP Rudras clawed their way back into the contest as a marvellous Jobanpreet goal gave them a lifeline. Russell’s drag-flick took a deflection, and Jobanpreet did well to bring the ball down before unleashing an astonishing slapshot that made it 1-2 in the 40th minute.

The Rudras thought they had the equalizer in the 50th minute when they opted for a penalty corner variation that saw Russell slip the ball to Tanguy Cosyns. The Belgian’s strike beat the rushers and looked destined to find the top corner before Dominic Dixon made a fantastic diving save to keep the ball out.

Arshdeep proved to be the match-winner as he finished off a fabulous team move in the final minute of play. Shilanand Lakra and Zachary Wallace exchanged passes before the latter played a neat ball across the goal and Arshdeep was at the right place at the right time to tap it home and close out a superb 3-1 win for the Hyderabad Toofans.

--IANS

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Abu Dhabi, Jan 26 (IANS) The Gulf Giants were forced to dig deep, and they responded brilliantly, to defeat the MI Emirates by two wickets, in a nail-biter in Season 3 of the ILT20 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Saturday. The Gulf Giants looked down and out at one stage before their lower order showed nerves of steel to guide the side over the finish line against the MI Emirates. The win helps the Gulf Giants move to fifth on the points table.

Asked to bat first, the MI Emirates had a slow start as they lost the openers Kusal Perera for four and Muhammad Waseem for 12, both to Daniel Worrall, in the powerplay. The in-form Tom Banton then began the job of rebuilding for the MI Emirates and was looking for support from his skipper.

However, Nicholas Pooran could only add eight to the cause while Dan Mousley added five more, before both were dismissed, leaving the MI Emirates in a spot of bother at 57/4. Banton was joined by Kieron Pollard, and they dug in. Banton and Pollard kept the scoreboard moving even when the big hits were tough to come by. Banton completed his fifty in the 15th over, and in the next Pollard took Aayan Khan to the cleaners, smashing three sixes in a 21-run over.

The 17th over though saw Banton depart for 56, as a superb 66-run stand came to an end. The MI Emirates would need a strong finish and along with Pollard, who scored 34, Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd added a few lusty blows as well. While Hosein finished unbeaten on 20, Shepherd was not out on eight, the MI Emirates got 151/6 in their 20 overs. Incidentally, Banton’s half-century meant he took over the Green Belt for being the highest run-getter in the tournament.

The Gulf Giants too could not get off to a fast start, as the captain James Vince was the first to fall for one. Soon after, Jordan Cox was packed off for nine, and the Gulf Giants were 20/2 in the fourth over. Tom Alsop was joined by Gerhard Erasmus, and they had to rebuild after the early scares. Both Alsop and Erasmus stayed away from the high-risk approach and steadied the ship with a solid half-century stand. The third wicket produced 65 runs for the Gulf Giants, who were back in the contest.

Alsop was the next to fall for 32 and Erasmus followed shortly after for 37. For the MI Emirates, Muhammad Rohid Khan and Alzarri Joseph were doing most of the heavy lifting with the ball. Shimron Hetmyer and Ibrahim Zadran tried to up the ante after that, but Joseph castled the West Indian southpaw for seven, which put further pressure on the Gulf Giants.

Fazalhaq Farooqi cleaned up Zadran for 11 after that, but Tom Curran was soldiering on at the other end for the Giants, who had four wickets left. Curran and Mark Adair were picking some crucial boundaries at this point, and brought the Giants to within 17 runs of the target, with two overs to go. Farooqi accounted for Adair for 15 in the 19th over, and then Aayan Khan combined with Curran and Muhammad Zuhaib to clinch a thrilling win off the game's final delivery. Aayan, who scored an unbeaten 11 of six deliveries, was instrumental in helping his side over the line.

Player of the match, Mark Adair said, “It was just about getting the basics right again. Tom Curran came in and shared his experience, and that helped in the crucial moments.” MI Emirates’ captain Nicholas Pooran said, “It was a tough one today, we weren't disciplined enough and paid the price as a team.”

Brief scores:

MI Emirates 151/6 in 20 overs (Tom Banton 56, Kieron Pollard 34, Daniel Worral 2-19, Mark Adair 1-24) lost to Gulf Giants 152/8 in 20 overs (Gerhard Erasmus 37, Tom Alsop 32, Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-34, Muhammad Rohid Khan 2-15)

--IANS

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Mumbai, Jan 25 (IANS) Young woman hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, who was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna award earlier this month, started her 2025 season in scintillating fashion by rewriting the 60m hurdles national record, which already stood in her name, en route to a top place finish at the ‘Meeting de Nantes Metropole’ in Nantes, France on Saturday.

Jyothi, whose previous best at this distance was 8.12s, clocked a time of 8.07s in the heats, where she finished third, before winning the final by further improving her timing to 8.04s, remarkably improving her personal best twice in the space of a day.

Fellow Reliance Foundation athlete Tejas Shirse, who was coming fresh off a national record in the men’s 60m hurdles event at the CMCM Luxembourg Indoor Meeting, matched his personal best of 7.65s in the heats.

Later, he clocked a time of 7.68s in the final to finish third in his event, also starting the season on a positive note, the Reliance Foundation informed in a release here on Saturday.

Jyothi and Tejas are currently on an overseas exposure tour in Europe with the hurdler from Andhra Pradesh having trained with the Netherlands team in South Africa ahead of her first competition of the year.

Both of them will be in action in the National Games next month in Uttarakhand. Jyothi and Tejas are already the national record holders in the 100m hurdles and 110m hurdles events respectively.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 25 (IANS) After his brilliant unbeaten 72 helped India complete a thrilling two-wicket win over England, left-handed batter Tilak Varma revealed head coach Gautam Gambhir advised him to play as per the situation, which aided him in acing the run-chase in Saturday’s game.

Chasing 166, England reduced India to 78/5 and then 126/7, but Tilak's brilliant 55-ball knock, laced with four boundaries and five sixes, took India home with four balls to spare and took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series in a game which will be remembered for ages.

"The wicket was slightly two-paced. I was talking with Gautam sir yesterday, he said 'Whatever happens, you should play according to the situation. If the team needs ten an over, you should take charge, if something else, you should stand till the end'.”

“The team discussed that a left-right combination will be a good option, it will be difficult for opposition bowlers as well. We already played in South Africa, their bowlers were quicker. We were prepared. Archer and Wood are quick, our guys prepared well, we worked hard in the nets and we got the results,” said Tilak after getting the Player of the Match award.

Tilak was also helped by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi making nine not out and sharing a crucial unbroken stand of 20 to take India home. “I told him to hold his shape and hit the gap. He played a flick and hit a four off Livingstone, that made it a bit easier," he added.

Asked about the chat he had with Tilak, Bishnoi said to broadcasters, "Let's try, we will get it. He was set and I did not want to play a rash shot because we had less wickets in hand. Today only I posted a reel on Instagram, saying why should batters have all the fun. When slip came in, I knew he would try and dismiss me with a leg spin. But I hit him with the spin for four.”

He also felt Tilak’s knock in Saturday’s game was the best T20I knock he’s seen from the other end with the bat in hand. “Tilak's one is one of the best T20 innings. There were big names in the opposition. He is doing this from South Africa and did well in domestic as well, so he’s doing really well. (He is asked what his next reel is going to be, he just holds his bat up and laughs!)."

India and England will now play third T20I at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on January 28.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 25 (IANS) After Tilak Varma carried India home in a nail-biting second T20I against England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday, captain Suryakumar Yadav said he was very happy with the way the left-handed batter went about his business and gave some learnings to the team.

In the chase of 166, India were quick off the blocks but were soon reduced to 78/5, thanks to the visitors’ bowlers taking scalps with absolute rockets. Tilak, who had a blazing start to his knock by then, switched his batting gear and handled the pressure well to get his first T20I fifty in India, which he didn’t celebrate.

He showcased his remarkable temperament by keeping calm and batting with the tail-enders for company, while farming the strike on certain occasions, and eventually completed the chase with four balls to spare, and remained unbeaten on 72 off 55 balls, laced with four boundaries and five sixes in a knock which will be remembered for ages.

Tilak was also helped by Ravi Bishnoi making nine not out and sharing a crucial stand of 20 to take India home. “Good to see we are playing an aggressive brand of cricket. At the same time, the guys put their hands up and stitched the small partnerships. Very happy with the way Tilak batted, something to learn for everyone. Good to see someone take responsibility.”

“Ravi Bishnoi putting the hard work in the nets, he wants to contribute with the bat. The boys have taken off a lot of pressure, and the atmosphere in the dressing room is light. There will be days it won't come off, but we know what we want to do. If we are on the same page, good things will take place," said Suryakumar in the post-match presentation ceremony.

He also said coming out as the winner of a nail-biting game was pure relief. "A little bit of relief. The way the game was going, we felt 160 was good, but the way they bowled, was good that the game went down to the wire. We have been playing with an extra batter for the last few series. That batter gives us two-three overs. The chat was to play like the last game.”

Jos Buttler, England’s captain, also credited Tilak for the way he batted and was pleased with how they made India work hard to complete the chase. "Great game. Really exciting end, credit to Tilak for getting them over the line. We created a lot of chances, really pushed them close.” Buttler also felt happy over England improving their batting performance by posting 165, as compared to the one put in Kolkata, where they were bowled out for 132. “Really pleased with the way we went about with the bat. There was the aggression we asked for, nearly a defendable score.”

“Jamie Smith on debut playing the way he did, Brydon Carse and the guys creating chances with the ball. We will improve on it all but happy with the style. They are going to play three spinners, so they are going to take wickets. If we take them for runs, I am happy."

--IANS

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London, Jan 24 (IANS) Liverpool have the chance to add further pressure at the top of the Premier League standings on Saturday as their nearest chasers face tricky away games. Among other matches, Chelsea take on defending champions Manchester City, Arsenal face Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United meet Fulham seeking full points.

Arne Slot's side play at home to Ipswich Town, who will travel to Anfield chastened in the wake of last weekend's 6-0 hammering at home to Manchester City. Ipswich played some good attacking football for the opening half-hour of that defeat, but their expansive football has been punished by powerful rivals, and visiting coach Kieran McKenna may have to switch to a more conservative approach against a rival that has plenty of goalscoring options.

Arsenal and Nottingham Forest are both in action at the same time as Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, with Arsenal travelling to play Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Forest has a difficult visit to in-form Bournemouth. Wolves have slipped to 17th in the table and sit level on points with Ipswich after Vitor Pereira's new manager bounce seems to have worn off. Part of Wolves' problem seems to be the future of striker Matheus Cunha, who is a January target for both Arsenal and Forest.

Cunha's ten goals were the key to Wolves' recent recovery, but he seems to have lost focus in three recent defeats and Saturday's game could almost be seen as a job interview for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta's side is still without a reliable central striker and with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus sidelined, Cunha could be the need to revitalize its title hopes - as long as he doesn't derail them on Saturday.

Bournemouth's impressive 4-1 win at Newcastle last weekend extended their unbeaten run to nine games, with Andoni Iraola's side playing irrepressible attacking football. Their clash with Nottingham Forest, who show no sign of slowing down, with seven wins and a draw in the last eight league games, could be the highlight of the weekend - and all the more so as it comes between two sides that nobody expected to be where they are right now.

Fifth-placed Manchester City entertain fourth-placed Chelsea in what looks to be a fascinating game. City looked to be recovering from a dip in form, only to spectacularly crash to a 4-2 defeat after leading 2-0 away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. That means Pep Guardiola's side has to beat Club Brugge next week to qualify for the Champions League play-off round, although the immediate worries will be how to stop a Chelsea attack led by Nicolas Jackson and former City youngster Cole Palmer.

Newcastle's hopes of a tenth consecutive win were ended by Bournemouth last weekend, but Saturday's visit to a Southampton side that has conceded 50 goals this season should have Alexander Isak and company rubbing their hands in anticipation of returning to the goal trail. Brighton have Danny Welbeck fit again against an Everton side that has more bite in attack after David Moyes' return as coach, while on Sunday a continually improving Crystal Palace has a south London derby against Brentford.

Seven consecutive league defeats have put Ruud van Nistelrooy under pressure at Leicester ahead of Sunday's visit to Tottenham, where Ange Postecoglou also needs a win. Tottenham's chaotic defending has earned Spurs the nickname 'Dr. Tottenham' as it helps sides with problems recover, but with Leicester losing their last seven and Spurs crashing in four of their last five league games, this one is hard to call.

Aston Villa are at home to West Ham and striker Jhon Duran will be looking to impress against a side that was rumoured to be trying to sign him this month. West Ham will be without Jarrod Bowen, Mickael Antonio, and Niclas Fullkrug, and a lack of firepower is one of new coach Graham Potter's many problems since replacing Julen Lopetegui.

Fulham will provide a test for Manchester United on Sunday evening as Marco Silva's organised side entertain a rival that doesn't look comfortable with Ruben Amorim's system of wing-backs in another match between Portuguese coaches.

--IANS

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Madrid (Spain), Jan 24 (IANS) Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on Friday played down rumours that winger Vinicius Jr could be set for a big-money move to Saudi Arabia in the summer and claimed the forward is going anywhere.

Last summer saw rumours about some parties showing interest in taking the Brazilian to the Saudi Pro League, and the story has surfaced again in the Spanish press, with stories of a possible world-record offer of 350 million euros (367 million US dollars) for the player.

Kylian Mbappe's ever-improving form - and the fact the French forward has played in his favourite role on the left of the Real Madrid attack in Vinicius' absence - has lent further credibility to the story, reports Xinhua.

However, speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's La Liga game at Real Valladolid, Ancelotti was having none of it.

"As far as I know - and I have direct information from the player, is that he is very happy here and he wants to make history at Real Madrid," responded the coach to a question over Vinicius' future.

"Everyone is happy here and we want to make history," he added.

Vinicius will miss Saturday's game due to suspension after he was shown a red card for aggression in his side's win in Valencia on January 3, and he will also miss next week's Champions League visit to Brest after his yellow card against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday night led to a suspension for accumulation of bookings.

"He (Vinicius) is the same as always," insisted Ancelotti, adding that Vinicius' suspensions would "be good for him to recover and to work calmly. He'll take advantage of these days and be fresh at the key moments."

"He is a player who is indispensable, there is no doubt about that," he concluded.

Real Madrid are currently leading the La Liga standings with 46 points from 20 matches with Atletico Madrid in second with 44 points from 20 matches. Barcelona are in third place with 39 points.

--IANS

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Multan, Jan 24 (IANS) Debutant right-arm pacer Kashif Ali comes in place of Khurram Shahzad as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled their playing XI for the second and final Test of the series against West Indies, set to take place at the Multan Cricket Stadium from January 25 to 29, following their comprehensive 127-run victory in the series opener.

Kashif Ali is set to don the whites for Pakistan after showcasing impressive form in the domestic circuit. The 24-year-old earned his call-up with consistent performances in first-class cricket, including a standout five-wicket haul for Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka last November. His inclusion marks a significant milestone in his career as he becomes the sole pacer in Pakistan’s spin-heavy bowling attack for the match. Kashif expressed his excitement ahead of his debut.

Pakistan have opted to retain the spin-heavy bowling attack that proved effective in the series opener. Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed, all of whom played pivotal roles in dismantling the West Indies lineup in the first Test, will once again lead the charge with their guile and precision.

The decision to rely heavily on spinners reflects Pakistan’s approach to capitalise on the spin-friendly conditions in Multan, which were instrumental in their recent Test series comeback against England. The batting lineup remains unchanged, with young opener Muhammad Huraira partnering skipper Shan Masood at the top of the order. The promising left-handed batter, Huraira, impressed with his technique and temperament in the first Test and will aim to build on his solid start.

Babar Azam, who remains the backbone of Pakistan’s batting, will occupy the crucial No. 3 position. Vice-captain Saud Shakeel, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan will form the middle order alongside Kamran Ghulam, who played a steady knock in the first Test.

Pakistan heads into the second Test with a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, thanks to a commanding performance in the first Test at the same venue. The spin trio of Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed collectively accounted for all the 20 wickets in the first match, leaving the West Indies batting lineup in disarray.

Pakistan will aim to seal the series with a victory in the second Test, while West Indies will look to regroup and deliver a stronger performance to level the series.

Pakistan Playing XI:

Shan Masood (c), Muhammad Huraira, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Kashif Ali.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Jan 24 (IANS) PV Vishnu and Hijazi Maher scored a goal apiece as East Bengal FC returned to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Friday night. This was the Red & Gold Brigade’s first victory in five games, having last won 1-0 against Jamshedpur FC on December 21.

A brilliant first-half strike from Vishnu saw the hosts take the lead at half-time before Hijazi Maher extended the advantage in the second half. Danish Farooq brought the Kerala Blasters FC back into the game with a late goal but in the end, it was only a consolation. With this win, the Red and Golds have also snapped their three-game losing streak in the current campaign.

The visitors had the lion’s share of possession in the initial exchanges of the game whereas the Red & Golds waited for their opportunity to pounce on the counter-attacks. The Blasters were pretty one-dimensional with their reliance on Noah Sadaoui on the right flank and the hosts took advantage of this pattern.

The game's first chance fell to Dimitrios Diamantakos in the 15th minute when Naorem Mahesh Singh recycled possession and initiated a counter-attack. He released Diamantakos in space but Sachin Suresh kept out the Greek forward’s effort on target.

Minutes later, Sachin was indecisive with a parry from Cleiton Silva’s direct freekick on goal. Richard Celis latched onto the stray ball but he didn’t have enough space to slot it home. With these attacks, the hosts were gradually gaining momentum.

Oscar Bruzon’s men were rewarded in the 20th minute when Cleiton found Vishnu with an exquisite long ball on the right flank. The youngster zoomed past his marker before dinking the ball over Sachin, who came out of his lines. The ball trickled over the goal line as Korou Singh failed to clear the danger.

After taking the lead, East Bengal FC were the better team as they created some good openings. They almost doubled the lead when Diamantakos squared the ball to Cleiton in the penalty area before the Brazilian forced Sachin to come up with a fantastic save. The hosts almost had the second goal when Celis decided to pull the trigger from long range. However, his effort struck the post on its way out.

This was the first in nine games that East Bengal FC ended the first half with a lead in this competition. The last time they held a lead at the break was against NorthEast United FC in November.

Kerala Blasters FC looked like an improved side as they started the second half with great intent. Noah orchestrated most of their moves as they kept pushing for the equaliser. In the 58th minute, Kwame Peprah was introduced to add more attacking impetus as Milos Drincic made way for him.

Noah almost found the equaliser for the visitors when he broke through the entire East Bengal FC backline. However, Lalchungnunga blocked the Moroccan’s eventual effort. In the meantime, Lalthanmawia Renthlei walked into the field replacing Korou.

In the 72nd minute, the hosts secured the goal when Hijazi rose the highest from a corner delivered by Mahesh and headed it home. He was completely unmarked and made full use of the opportunity, scoring his second goal of the current campaign.

In retaliation, the visitors threw bodies forward with the aim of at least salvaging a point from this game. Their persistence finally paid off in the 84th minute when substitute Danish Farooq brought Kerala Blasters FC back into the game with a timely strike.

The midfielder latched onto a ball that was cleared by Hijazi and he nestled it into the bottom right corner of the net. With the game entering its final stages, Bruzon decided to bring on Hector Yuste replacing Diamantakos.

Cleiton almost sealed the three points with an effort following a fast break as Mahesh found him with a great cross. But the Brazilian failed to hit the target from close range. Kerala Blasters FC did push for the equaliser but in the end, they weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and the hosts also were resolute in defence.

East Bengal FC will next lock horns with Mumbai City FC on January 31, whereas Kerala Blasters FC will face Chennaiyin FC on January 30.

--IANS

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