Team Herald
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VASCO: Ten-man Kerala Blasters FC moved to second spot in the points table with a spirited performance to down wooden spooners NorthEast United FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Friday. Second-half goals from Jorge Pereyra Díaz (62nd) and a stunner from Alvaro Vazquez (82nd) saw Kerala get back to winning ways as NorthEast United’s misery deepened further. Mohamed Irshad scored a goal deep into injury time but that didn’t matter in the end as Khalid Jamil’s side remained on 10 points from 16 games. Kerala now have 23 points from 13 outings.
Vazquez was in the clear soon after, but he shot straight at the keeper as Kerala attacked with venom to soon get their reward.
Diaz was left unmarked and the Argentine made no mistake when Harmanjot Khabra headed the ball in his path, nodding in past Subhashish Roy Choudhary. Kerala suffered a setback when Ayush Adhikari was sent off after seeing a second yellow card in the 70th minute. NorthEast United replaced Marco Sahanek with Deshorn Brown who made a comeback into the team, but Kerala went 2-0 up to add to Highlanders’ plight. Vazquez scored a sensational goal, getting the ball close to the half-line and spotting Roy Choudhury off his line, to send a curling effort that nestled into the net.
Irshad pulled one back in stoppage time from a Santana ball, shooting with power from just outside the box but his brilliant effort went in vain as NorthEast United succumbed to their second straight defeat.
