Kerala Blasters vs Gokulam Kerala Highlights, Durand Cup 2023: KBFC 3-4 GKFC at Full Time

Kerala Blasters 3-4 Gokulam Kerala at FT: Live coverage ends

Gokulam Kerala place themselves comfortably top in Group C with six points in two games and are the favourites to qualify for the knockout stages while Kerala Blasters will have to take the longer route of qualification and must beat Bengaluru FC and Indian Air Force convincingly if they wish to progress as lucky losers! Good thing, they reduced the goal deficit to -1 despite conceding four goals. That's all from our Live coverage.

Just Gokulam Things 😎
A solid win for Malabarians 💪#KBFCGKFC #Malabarians #Durandcup2023 pic.twitter.com/ZjJUwa8Vov

— Gokulam Kerala FC (@GokulamKeralaFC) August 13, 2023

Kerala Blasters vs Gokulam Kerala Live Updates: KBFC 3-4 GKFC at FT

Gokulam Kerala deserve all the credit for being the better side on the day. It was their two foreign names Pedromo and Alex Sanchez, who starred in the win as the duo had role to play in every goal on the day. Blasters had some positives from their opening game of the season as both Luna and Emmanuel Justine found the net early in the season. Plenty of concerns at the back though as KBFC defense conceded four goals, all of them within the first 47 minutes of the match!

Talk about an unexpected twist! Abhijith's stunning long-range shot leaves everyone in awe as we stretches lead to 4-1 early in the second half⚽🚀#DurandCup #GKFC #malabarians pic.twitter.com/sZI1ZkahBd

— Gokulam Kerala FC (@GokulamKeralaFC) August 13, 2023

Full Time!

The referee blows the final whistle after a final patient build-up by Kerala Blasters, which ended with a poor headed cross from Prabir Das from the right flank! Gokulam Kerala beat Kerala Blasters 4-3 in their first senior encounter! Seven goals in the game, the fans are certainly entertained!

Kerala Blasters 3-4 Gokulam Kerala

90+6' KP Rahul and Luna are trying to coordinate on the right flank to build attack for equalising goal but Gokulam defense is looking rock solid at the moment to kill space!

Kerala Blasters 3-4 Gokulam Kerala

90+4' Not many happy faces in the stand as few Manjapadda fans made it for the game! Gokulam Kerala meanwhile are trying the old antics to kill as much as time possible!

Luna fires off target!

90+2' Kerala Blasters had a freekick opportunity 30 yards from goal following a soft foul but the Uruguyan miserably fired it off target as he went for power over placement!

7 minutes of stoppage time!

90+1' Hopeful smiles on Kerala Blasters' fans faces as seven minutes of injury time are added upon completion of the regulation time! Will it be enough for the Blasters to draw level?

Kerala Blasters vs Gokulam Kerala Live Updates: KBFC 3-4 GKFC

88' Kerala Blasters are trying to build up for the equaliser with Rahul KP mostly popping up on the right flank but Gokulam Kerala are nicely sitting deep in the closing minutes and are always looking to hit Blasters on the break through Pedromo, who is putting in a long shift!

Alex Sanchez taken off!

84' Star of the match Alex Sanchez is taken off and is replaced by Shilton de Silva. The Spanish striker gingerly walks off the field in his effort to kill some more time!

Another substitution by Kerala Blasters!

81' Muhammad Saheef comes in for Pritam Kotal! Time is ticking away for Kerala Blasters in desperate push for that equaliser!

GOOOOOALLLLL!

78' Adrian Luna makes it 4-3! Bidyasagar with the assist as the substitute laid it off to Luna after recieveing a cross from the right flank! Kerala Blasters need one more with less than 12 minutes of regulation time left!

BIG MISS BY KERALA BLASTERS!

76' Substitute Bidyasagar miss the target from just 5 yards with the goalkeeper to beat! Unbelievable! It was Rahul KP who set the striker up with a header into the box but Bidyasagar blasted it over the crossbar!

YELLOW CARD FOR KERALA BLASTERS!

73' Mohammed Azhar sees a yellow card for tackling Alex Sanchez from behind. The referee soon after calls for water break! Time is ticking away for Kerala Blasters to get back in the game!

Kerala Blasters 2-4 Gokulam Kerala

71' Rahul KP sparks an attack from the right flank as he skips past his marker to fire in a cross! The ball was cleared away by Gokulam defender but only fell as far as Danish Farooq outside the box! The Kashmiri midfielder fired it into the goal first time but the effort was blocked!

Two more changes by Kerala Blasters!

68' Emmanuel Justine and Jeakson Singh are taken off and replaced by Bidysagar Singh and Danish Farooq!

Audacious attempt by Luna!

66' The Kerala Blasters playmaker shoot directly at goal from a 35-yard freekick! The ball is calmly collected by Gokulam goalkeeper as there wasn't enough power behind the shot!

Kerala Blasters vs Gokulam Kerala Live Updates: KBFC 2-4 GKFC

65' Gokulam Kerala are looking more solid at the back now following the changes! Tougher ask for KBFC to get back in the game with less than 25 minutes of regulation time left in the game!

Kerala Blasters 2-4 Gokulam Kerala

59' Plenty of changes on either side as Rahul KP and Hormipam come in for Nihal and Bijoy while Gokulam make three changes! Both Indian goalscorers Sreekuttam and Abhijith are taken off!

GOOOOOALLLLL!

54' Prabir Das pulls one back for Kerala Blasters! Nihal with the assists there as he did all the hard work with an excellent skill to run deep into the box! The winger dragged GKFC defenders with him to the left of the goal before sending a sublime cross for an unmarked Prabir on the far post! KBFC still believes!

Kerala Blasters 1-4 Gokulam Kerala

51' The I-League side is getting under the skin of Kerala Blasters as they continue to catch their neighbours on the counter while KBFC appear to be running out of ideas! Can somebody from Blasters bench spark a comeback?

WHAT A GOOOOOALLLL!

47' THUNDEROUS Strike into the net by Abhijith as he fires it into the net from 30 yards! No chance for the goalkeeper to stop it despite a desperate dive! Alex Sanchez will claim the assist as he ran close to the KBFC box on the break and squared it to Abhijith after halting his run. Abhijith didn't waste time and hit it into the net!

Second half begins!

46' The second half begins with KBFC continue to take possession! They have 63% possession so far and have just a goal to show for it!

Correction!

Gokulam's third goal was officialy judged as an own goal by KBFC's Huidrom Naocha, who got the last touch of the ball instead of Alex Sanchez during the duel!

Kerala Blasters vs Gokulam Kerala Live Updates: KBFC 1-3 GKFC

Nobody wants to be in the Kerala Blasters' locker room at the moment at it is certain that coach Frank Dauwen certainly don't have kind words to say for the way his team conceded those goals! However, let's cut Blasters some slack as this is the first game of the 2023-24 season for them while Gokulam already came into the match seeing game time and with a winning momentum!

Work to do in the second half 👊#KBFCGKFC #DurandCup #KBFC #KeralaBlasters pic.twitter.com/8H0Sd2U92L

— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) August 13, 2023

Kerala Blasters 1-3 Gokulam Kerala at Half Time

Believe it or not! It's Gokulam Kerala and their fans, who are claiming the bragging rights of the Kerala Derby as Kozhikode-based side fired three goals past the ISL heavyweights! Pedromo, Alex Sanchez have been the star for the side as they have been involved in all the goals while Sreekuttan scored his second goal in the competition to put GKFC back in the lead after Emmanuel Justine equalised for Blasters! Something tells me this game is not over yet as KBFC are not giving up easy as they continue to look for goals despite going two goals down!

Half Time!

The referee blows the half time whistle soon after! But not before Justine tried to curl it into the goal for KBFC but his effort went off target! Gokulam head into the break as the happy team, taking a two-goal lead with their foreign players taking charge!

GOOOOALLLL! Gokulam lead 3-1!

45+1' Alex Sanchez scores his first right after setting up the last goal as Pedromo played him free to the goal with a defense splitting pass! Blasters' Naocha made a desperate attempt to take Alex off the ball with a shoulder push but the Spanish managed to get enough touch of the ball to slot it past the goalkeeper into the net! Blasters didn't see that coming!

GOOOOOALLLLL!

43' Gokulam Kerala are back in the lead! It's Sreekuttan, who head its into the net after Alex Sanchez sets him up with a cross after Pedromo plays him through inside the box! What a well coordinated attack by Gokulam!

Kerala Blasters vs Gokulam Kerala Live Updates: KBFC 1-1 GKFC

42' Luna and Justine are coordinating with so much more quality now as the Uruguayan sets up Justine inside the box but the Nigerian couldn't get enought touch of the ball to keep his shot on target!

Kerala Blasters pushing for leading goal!

39' Kerala Blasters are threatening to take the lead as Prabir Das sends in a cross from left flank, which was cleared away for a corner! The resulting set piece was headed inches off target by Jeakson Singh! Gokulam are under pressure at the moment!