Score: Horizons FC (6) – (0) Samba FC
Scorers
Horizons FC (Philip Babalola 17’, 58’, Adithya KV 24’, AD Kumar 26’, 39’, 41’)
Horizons got back to winning ways scoring six past Samba in the first game of the day. Horizon’s previous two encounters saw them only picking up one point, leading to them surrendering their position at the top of the table. Samba have had a disastrous last few games, having not picked up points since Gameweek 3 and have now been pulled into the relegation fight with only four games to go.
Samba played out their strategy well for the first 15 minutes but once Philip Babalola scored the opening goal – via a superb solo run in the 17th minute – the floodgates opened and goals flowed in constant intervals. Adithya KV scored the second in the 24th minute followed by a hat trick by AD Kumar.
Samba FC have seemingly lost their way after a strong start and need to revisit the beginning of the season to find out where they have lost their way. Their strategy of defence first has not worked in their favour, although it might just pan out for them in their fight for safety, which is of utmost importance.
Horizons remain in second position after this win, two points behind the league leader. They also have three teams behind them waiting to usurp them if they make the slightest mistake. The Horizons teams of the past have thrived in such situations but can this new look Horizons team perform the same way?
Samba currently sit in 9th position, one spot out of the red zone and three points clear of 10th placed Mavericks but their current form shows no indication for improvement and they really need a new strategy if they are to change things around.
Man of the Match: Philip Babalola (Horizons FC)
Yataghan Internazionale v Supernova FC
Score: Yataghan Internazionale (0) – (1) Supernova FC
Scorers
Supernova FC (Prince Carl 23’)
Supernova picked up all three points in a tough encounter against Yataghan Internazionale. Prince Carl’s moment of inspiration in the 23rd minute saw him run past three defenders before coolly slotting home the opener, which also turned out to be the only goal of the game. Yataghan Internazionale’s game has improved drastically when compared to the beginning of the season and they wouldn’t be in this dire position if they had played this way from the start.
Yataghan’s winter signing Tudor Marchis has fit in seamlessly into the team while the mainstays of the team have come together, but they have been lacking a managerial presence on the sideline. The mysterious disappearance of Channa Jayaweera has baffled many people and the manager needs to return as they look to stave off relegation.
Supernova were missing James Hadeyemi this game due to an injury, but will need their star forward back if they are to see out a tough final 3 fixtures which includes games against Bengal and Parikrma. Yataghan could have equalised in the dying minutes of the game but both Andreas Lehmann and Jay Singadia squandered chances inside the box.
Although Supernova fall down one spot to fourth on goal difference, dropped points could have been disastrous to their title hopes. Yataghan Internazionale would be kicking themselves for not picking up a point from this game and would a feel that a good performance reaped no returns, but if they continue playing like this, they should be able to get a couple of wins.
Man of the Match: Prince Carl (Supernova FC)
Rare Dare FC v Flipkart FC
Score: Rare Dare FC (3) – (3) Flipkart FC
Scorers
Rare Dare FC (Nikhil Labhsetwar 19’, Avinash S 49’, Steven Harold 60’)
Flipkart FC (Kartik Sah 17’, Pavan Powar 39’,43’)
An entertaining 6-goal match ended in a 3-3 draw between Rare Dare FC and Flipkart FC. Flipkart looked well on their way to another victory but two late goals from RDFC ruined those plans. It was an important point for Rare Dare who are still in 11th in the table but this point takes them closer to safety.
Flipkart opened the scoring in the 17th minute via Kartik Sah but RDFC equalised two minutes later through Nikhil Labhsetwar. The game went into halftime with a 1-1 score-line, which was probably fair as both teams looked evenly matched. The second half started in a different manner with Flipkart in control of the game and they were duly rewarded with a goal thanks to their star striker Pavan Powar who got on the scoresheet once again.
Pavan doubled his tally for the day four minutes later to give his side a two-goal lead but RDFC still had some fight left in them and they responded well to pull back one goal when Avinash scored in the 49th minute.
Flipkart went into a defensive shell after that goal and it almost worked, but a last minute foul around 25 yards outside the box led to Steven Harold scoring a beautiful curled shot that found its way into the back of the net. There wasn’t much time left after that goal for either side to find a winner but a draw was probably a fair result even though Flipkart would be kicking themselves for wasting a two-goal lead with a quarter of the game to go.
Man of the Match: Steven Harold (Rare Dare FC)
FC Bengal v Project 7
Score: FC Bengal (3) – (1) Project 7
Scorers
FC Bengal (Saheed Adeoye 16’, Mani A 25’, 27’)
Project 7 (Rajath Gowda 41’)
Bengal didn’t succumb to the pressure of the leading the table for the first time in their TAL history and saw out a routine win over Project 7. The returning trio of Anto, Raymond and Mani made a big difference, with Bengal looking more confident than their previous outing where they barely managed to stumble past the finish line.
Saheed Adeoye was once again on the score sheet for Bengal and opened the scoring in the 16th minute until which point Project 7 looked set for a defensive grinder.
The introduction of Mani changed the game and had an immediate impact as he scored a goal in the 25th minute. The speedy winger managed to make it 3-0 for his side two minutes later and the game looked dusted and done.
Project 7 put on a better performance in the second half and even managed to pull a goal back through Rajath Gowda, but the Bengal defence led by Raymond and Prithu had enough in them to not concede any more goals. Bengal have found it tough to keep clean sheets this season but their strong attack force has led them to wins.
In this game, again, Project 7 put in a fairly decent performance but the goals and wins evaded them. They currently occupy the bottom position in the table and with only three games to go, their destiny seems to be sealed shut. But a win in all three matches, and if teams around them don’t win, they could just escape.
Bengal maintain their two-point lead over Horizons and with three tough games – against Parikrma, Flipkart and Supernova coming up; this win was worth more than the three points it presented them with.
Man of the Match: Mani A (FC Bengal)
FC Kougen Kikou v Parikrma FC
Score: FC Kougen Kikou (0) – (4) Parikrma FC
Scorers
Parikrma FC (R Ravibabu 44’, Thongmang Haokip 55’, 60’, Sunil Manjunath 57’)
Parikrma came through in the final quarter of the game to pick up all three points against a strong Kougen Kikou side that had every chance to win the game. The scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story as Kougen Kikou put on an efficient team performance that saw them hold off Parikrma in the first half, and went close to taking the lead on several occasions in the second half, only to concede in the 44th minute.
The opener in the 44th minute from Ravibabu shook up Kougen Kikou a bit and after that, it was Parikrma who took control of the game. Kougen Kikou came close to equalising but Hiroki Akiyama’s header bounced off the crossbar only to land outside.
The final 5 minutes of the game saw a flurry of goals, with man of the match, Thong Haokip, scoring a brace, and full back Sunil Manjunath grabbing the other goal. As football goes, when a team misses in one end the momentum shifts to the opposition to score in the other end and that was exactly the story of the game.
Parikrma moved back into the top three after this win and those late goals might be important with goal difference coming into play in tight title races like the one we have this season. Kougen Kikou are pretty much out of danger and their recent performances indicate they should end up with a couple more points before the season is done.
Man of the Match: Thongmang Haokip (Parikrma FC)
Gremio FC v Mavericks FC
Score: Gremio FC (5) – (1) Mavericks FC
Scorers
Gremio FC (Javier Cabrera 8’, 9’, 60’, Jayaprakash JP 41’,57’)
Mavericks FC (Obul Reddy 46’)
The final match of Gameweek 8 saw a rampant Gremio side score 5 past Mavericks. Javier Cabrera of Gremio FC was the man of the match after scoring a hat-trick and picking up two assists. The Spaniard had a hand in every goal and formed a formidable partnership with Jayaprakash JP in midfield.
JP also managed a brace and has become an integral part of the Gremio midfield. Gremio haven’t been beaten since the opening day of the league but dropping points to draws has caused them to still remain in 5th, but with an outside shot at the title.
Gremio started the game on full throttle and opened the scoring in the 8th minute when Hayder Halangy found Javi with a beautifully lofted pass from the wing. The second came a minute later when a cheap giveaway from the Mavericks defence saw Javi curl a perfectly placed shot leaving Aakash Nasarpuri no chance of getting to the ball. Although the game was of high tempo, Gremio had a lot of possession, but could not find a third before half-time.
The second half started pretty much the same way with Gremio on the attack and JP scored the third for Gremio in the 41st minute. However, Mavericks pulled one back soon after to make a game out of it although it was short lived. JP scored his second of the night three minutes from the final whistle while Javi completed his hat-trick with the final play of the game.
Although Gremio currently sit fifth in the table, they are only four points behind the league leaders so they will be hoping opposition results work in their favour too. Mavericks are in the red zone but only 3 points away from 8th placed Yataghan, which means there is still hope. Their next game, which is against bottom placed Project 7 could be all-important as they seek to remain in Division for their fourth season running.
Man of the Match: Javier Cabrera (Gremio FC)
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