It was a match week which had much to offer as the title race is now on the cliffside with three teams knocking the door and locking the target to clinch the IWL title. Gokuklam who won the silverware three in a row wanting to latch on to it is facing tough rivalry in the name of Odisha FC who are in their maiden IWL campaign and last season’s runner up Kickstart FC.
Let’s have a sneak peek at how teams fared in their last round of games.
Gokulam retains back their top spot
Gokulam Kerala has turned the tables of this season’s IWL campaign around with an inspiring win over their fellow title contenders Odisha FC who tasted their first defeat of the season. It was a game of revenge as both teams lost only once in the league and both lost against each other in their away campaigns. It was an exhilarating victory for Gokulam Kerala who can keep their breath for now but Odisha is having a one game deficit with just one point behind in second place.
It was Odisha FC who shook the entire Gokulam team by surprise as they took an early lead just a mere 23 seconds into the game through former Gokulam starlet Indumathi Kathiresan’s stunner keeping the record for fastest goal in league history. the dream start wasn’t followed up by Odisha as team from Kerala came marching in endless chances with Shreya Hooda, guardian behind the bars came to the rescue multiple times in the entire game especially the first half. But, she couldn’t keep Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput too much longer as she headed the attacking prowess for Gokulam and netting a brace before first half.
Odisha came with renewed energy to get back to the game but they couldn’t replicate the resilience they showed in their home soil in the reverse fixture. They found it hard to be in queue with the flow of game as Gokulam were for the entirety of the game. Gokulam now have their chances to claim their defending champions spot but will entirely depends on how the Kalinga Warriors respond in the successive fixtures.
Kickstart tilt title race
The team from Karnataka has made it clear that they are not holding back from aiming for their maiden IWL title as they defeated Sports Odisha in their latest fight off by a solitary goal to nil. They are now placed in second place alongside current champions Gokulam Kerala with 20 points, differing in goal difference. Odisha FC is just lurking behind by one point with a game lesser than these two teams making the title contest to a photo finish with just three rounds to go.
Kickstart FC took the early lead against last placed Sports Odisha in the 13th minute of the game through a goal scored by Sonia Marak. It was Kickstart whose game was prominently dominating from the first minutes but they failed score more and increase their goal tally. The team led by Aslam Ahmed Khan has lost just one game in the league the same like their fellow title contenders Gokulam and Odisha. Their only lose came against HOPS FC who stands at 5th place in the table.
They now have three games in hand where two of them are against Gokulam and Odisha which will decide who may clinch this season’s IWL title. The next game is almost one month away because of the break.
Sethu FC tastes victory again
Sethu FC is finally back into winning form after their spree of three game losing run where East Bengal are on the path of worst to vanquishment as they are on a 9 game winless run losing 7 of them during this period. It was a brace from Indian midfielder Kajol D’Souza releiving them from continuous loses. Sethu FC was evidently the commanding team of the two as they were penetrating the East Bengal defense ceaselessly and it was a matter of luck along with lack of precision in front of goal which kept the scoreline at 2-0.
Sethu FC took the lead in the 7th minute after being awarded a penalty kick just second before through a handball incident. Kajol converted the penalty with ease and their attacking department kept on knocking the doors of East Bengal without any hindrance. It was a mere lack of composure which failed Sethu FC to score more but they indeed found one in the 82nd minute of game as Kajol completed her brace. East Bengal on the other hand didn’t have much to offer and they are currently sitting on 6th position with 4 points just above Sports Odisha in the relegation spot with 2 points in pocket.
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