Forca Kochi FC Beat Thrissur Magic FC on Penalties After Goalless Draw in Super League Kerala

Forca Kochi FC held their nerve in a tense penalty shootout to beat 10-man Thrissur Magic FC 4-1 on penalties after a goalless draw in the White Gold Super League Kerala at the Corporation Stadium in Thrissur on Thursday night.

The result marked Forca Kochi's second victory of the season and also produced the first penalty shootout of the ongoing Super League Kerala campaign following the introduction of a new format for the third season.

Under the new system, matches that end in a draw go directly to a penalty shootout. The winning team earns two points, while the losing side receives one point.

Thrissur start strongly before red card

Thrissur Magic FC made the brighter start and won five corners during the opening six minutes. The hosts continued to look more adventurous during the first half, but their momentum was disrupted midway through the opening period.

Colombian midfielder Bladimir Angulo was shown a red card after an incident involving Kochi forward Paulo Henrique, leaving Thrissur with 10 players for the remainder of the contest.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Thrissur continued to threaten. Both teams looked to exploit the flanks, with last season's runners-up finding opportunities down the left, while Nithin Madhu was particularly effective on the right for Kochi and repeatedly delivered crosses into the box.

Ten-man Thrissur continue to threaten

Playing with 10 men did not prevent Thrissur from creating chances. Around the half-hour mark, Anshid made a promising run into the Kochi penalty area but could only shoot wide.

Thrissur also came close through Henry Plazas, whose powerful effort was kept out by Kochi goalkeeper Jaimy Joy.

Kochi struggled to find a breakthrough despite having the numerical advantage and were unable to convert their opportunities into a goal.

Their best chance of the match arrived in the 80th minute. Nithin Madhu created an opening from the right, but substitute Diljith narrowly missed the target.

Kochi prevail in shootout

With neither side able to break the deadlock during regulation time, the match went to the penalty shootout under the Super League Kerala's new rules.

Forca Kochi remained composed from the spot and completed a 4-1 victory in the shootout, with goalkeeper Jaimy Joy making an impression as Kochi secured two points from the encounter.

Thrissur Magic FC, meanwhile, earned one point despite playing most of the match with 10 men. The match itself had already faced an early setback, with heavy rain in Thrissur delaying the scheduled 7:30 PM kick-off by around 45 minutes.