MATCH REPORT: Kerala ups the pace to score a runaway 3-1 win over NorthEast United

A COUPLE OF BRILLIANT long throws from Rahul Bheke broke the deadlock for Kerala Blasters, and clinched the game for them as they recorded an emphatic 3-1 win over visitors NorthEast United in a housefull first-round fixture of the Indian Super League.

Both managers chose to go with a healthy mix of youth and experience. Kerala Blasters coach sought the security of the seasoned warriors at goal and up front (Stephen Bywater and Chris Dagnall), which meant the young ex-Arsenal Sanchez Watt was starting from the bench. In the defence he had the British duo Marcus Williams and Peter Ramage, supported by the Brazilian Bruno Perona and young Indian Rahul Bheke. His midfield had the experienced presence of Mehtab Hossain and Peter Carvalho along with the raw youth of C.K. Vineeth and Josue Currais. Mohammad Rafi was there up front to support Dagnall.

Cesar Farias had a young and an experienced striker in Nicolas Velez and Diomansy Kamara. Young Indians Seityasen Singh, Boithang Haokip and Siam Hanghal dominated the midfield, connecting with defender Reagan Singh and Rehenesh TP in goal, forming the home-grown backbone of the team. But fortifying the defence were the likes of Miguel Garcia, Cedric Hengbart, Silas and Bruno Herrro. 

The match started with NorthEast United hogging more of the ball and trying to slowly build up their attacks. But while the home side was losing the ball early, they were definitely the more aggressive ones on the pitch. Rehenesh TP, a Keralite born and bred, was put to task early by Kerala as they kept breaching the NEUFC defensive line-up, forcing him to come off his line and attempt a block. Early on, Dagnall attracted a run-in from Rehenesh, and the ball went to Mohammad Rafi who had an open goal to tap into but shot wide.

This early play was a perfect sign of things to come as Kerala frustrated the visitors again and again, only to find themselves miss those chances due to poor finishing. 

NEUFC did manage to test Kerala keeper Bywater about 11 minutes in when Silas sent a high through ball to Nicolas Velez but the British keeper rushed ahead and forced a corner. 

Minutes later Kerala striker Dagnall fed Vineeth but the latter's cross to Rahul Bheke got disrupted by Rehenesh. 

Then NorthEast were denied a free kick from right outside the box as Seityasen Singh was tripped by Vineeth but the referee saw no fould play. Their bad luck with officiating continued as Nicolas Velez was wrongly flagged offside when he received a brilliant through ball.

Meanwhile Miguel Garcia picked up a muscle injury and had to be replaced by Sanju Pradhan, putting 6 Indians on the pitch for NorthEast.

The game slowed down considerably as the humidity got to the players. And by now NEUFC were crawling back into the game. Boithang Haokip ran a few raids for the visitors; first one ended in a long shot well wide, next time he tried a left footer from a free kick which was well deflected by Marcus Williams. Next time he took a shot on goal it was squatted away almost lazily. 

Kerala Blasters tried a quick counter with Josue and Bheke travelling the length of the pitch together to feed Dagnall who got caught offside. Mehtab Hossain too made a dash forward, sending one to Mohammad Rafi, whose finisher went well wide of target.

Thus it was that the first goalless half of the 2nd season of ISL came about. Both teams wanted to play it tight in the first half, and created some good chances (with Kerala creating the majority of them) but poor finishing rendered it all useless.

NEUFC keeper Rehenesh TP had a particularly taxing time, fending off some dangerous attacks from the home side. But things eased a bit for him as the time wore on and the game slowed down.

That's probably why, at half time coach Peter Taylor decided to infuse some pace up front. He began the second half by substituting Chris Dagnall with Sanchez Watt. 

As the half began Kerala put renewed pressure on the visitng Highlanders, with Vineeth sending a cross to Watt who got denied by Cedric Hengbart. The ball went out for a throw-in, and that's what paid off for Kerala Blasters. 

Rahul Bheke stepped up to make a long throw out of it. His delivery landed in the middle of the box, Perone had a go at it but failed, then Vineeth tried an acrobatic finisher but mis-timed, sending the ball over to an onrushing Josue whose right foot put a blinder on it, sending the ball to the net before the defenders and the keeper had managed a blink. After more than a half of trying and failing, Kerala Blasters had finally found a finisher that sent them ahead. 

And the goal kind of opened up the floodgates for the Blasters. After a Haokip free-kick forced a clearance out of Bywater and Seityasen had sent a dangerous cross into the Kerala box (forcing another clearance), Josue managed to pass it to Sanchez Watt who was one-on-one with Rehenesh, who once again had to come off the line and clear. 

And then the ball went out for a throw in again, from about the same position as the first goal. Once again Rahul Bheke picked up the ball. Once again everyone lined up, yet again the high ball flew in, Peter Carvalho put a touch on it, the ball got to Mohammad Rafi who hammered it into the net with his head.

Suddenly down by 2 goals, NEUFC introduced the physically imposing Francis Dadzie up front. But before he could do anything, another substitute striker, former Gunner Sanchez Watt had put his name on the scoresheet. He got the ball from Mohammad Rafi, and straight up nutmegged Rehenesh to send the home side 3-0 up with some 20 minutes of regulation time to spare.

The game was sealed then and there, really. NEUFC managed to find a consolatory goal just past the 80 minute mark. Nicolas Velez was fed by Francis Dadzie, made a fool out of Rahul Bheke and sent it past Kerala's British keeper to make it 3-1 with about 9 minutes to go.

But at the end the scoreline stayed the same. The home side had grabbed a convincing 3-1 victory over a talented NEUFC side. Even though it was the Highlanders who saw the majority of the possession it was the home side that pulled off the majority of the attacks. After the initial lack of proper finishing they became increasingly methodical in the final third, with Rahul Bheke's long throws proving to be the turning point of the match as they provided Kerala with the first two goals, taking the game out of NEUFC's reach.

The Kerala defence stood resolute as well, as NorthEast got no less than 8 corners yet failed to convert a single one of them. Significantly, KBFC were missing their star defenders Sandesh Jhingan due to national duty, and their marquee player Marchena, another defender, continues to be absent due to an injury.

NorthEast United showed promise but were outplayed by the Blasters in sheer precision. But more than their performance, they will be more frustrated with the poor officiating that plagued the game. If those couple of crucial decisions early in the first half had gone their way the match could have had a different face to it.

The Highlanders will now set out for Maharashtra where they face another stern test from Pune City. They will be eager to brush this defeat off and put up a strong performance, to pick up as many points as possible from their second away game on the trot before the battle moves to their own turf in Guwahati.

Kerala Blasters will be brimming with confidence. Three important players in their squad have scored, the defence has looked good and young Rahul Bheke has emerged as an unlikely hero to help them earn a victory and announce themselves to the rest of the opponents as a serious title contender. The whole event bears the hallmark of a classic Peter Taylor success story, one that thoroughly regaled the 60,017 vocal, loud fans that had turned up to support the team.

They will now face Mumbai City in the next match. Another home game. A win would be paramount, to put them in a good position before they travel to Kolkata to face the first major test of the season.

For now, though, it's time for their thousands of fans to savour every moment of their defeat. It represents to them a return to the sport they love most, and one they are deprived from of most of the year.

Because now is the time when, however momentarily, professional football returns to Kerala.