Atletico-Kerala settle for a draw

ATK went into overdrive from the word go dishing out attacks into the rival territory with consummate ease. The restlessness of Joffre in the midfield, Lobo and Borja upfront, with Arnal’s pick-pocketing balls from the rivals along the centre half left the visitors in much discomfort.     

Arnal snatches the ball in the midfield and feeds Joffre Gonzales on the left. Joffre cuts in and sends a measured minus to which Cavin Lobo sells a dummy. Joffre lays the ball in the path of a surging Baljit Sahni whose rasping volley puts ATK ahead 21 minutes into the game.

35 minutes into the game ATK could well have gone up 2-0, when Cavin Lobo befuddled the Kerala defenders again letting a Kingshuk Debnath through head for an overlapping Borja. However, Cedric Hengbart took advantage of a heavy second touch from the Spanish medio and cleared the danger.

40 minutes into the match Kerala Blasters restored parity through a gem of a buildup. Hume snatched the ball and laid it for Milagres Gonzalves who in turn drew the defenders with him before backflicking the ball to Hume who made no mistake with only Subhashis Roychowdhury at his mercy 1-1. 

52 minutes into the game ATK could have taken the lead once again, but for the woodwork that prevented a Baljit volley from going in after Joffre set him up with a measured cross.  Ten minutes later Arnal came close to scoring but for a body block from Sandesh. Three minutes into extra time Joffre could have made the difference between the two sides, but sliced the ball wide with an inviting open goal in front.

The last 15 minutes of the match tired legs slowed down the pace. But ATK made sure that they collected one more point to move up to 11 points on the leader board.  Fikru saw the match from the stands, looking as involved as he would have been had he been on the turf. In contrast Manager Antonio Lopez Habas in an all black suit watched the game intently from the confines of the hospitality box.