Kerala Blasters FC extended their unbeaten streak to seven games, ascending to third place after a late goal from Sandeep Singh guided them a 1-0 win against Odisha FC in the 9th Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi today.

It was a game of two halves for the Blasters, who did not find their rhythm in the first half but bounced back in the second half, with Sandeep Singh scoring the winning goal in the 86th minute.

KBFC nearly conceded in the third minute when a Ivan Kaliuzhnyi headed clearance from inside the box went straight to Raynier Fernandes on the edge of the box. The midfielder let one fly and saw it come off the crossbar before a tightly-marked Adrian Luna fired the rebound high.

The first half ended without any goal, but it was a feisty period. Five yellow cards were brandished before the break, with the Blasters picking up four of them. At half-time, Odisha FC had eight attempts, out of which three were on target, while the hosts only managed one wayward shot from Carneiro.

The Odisha FC defence had to face a barrage of attacks from the Blasters as the game entered its final quarter. In the 71st minute, a pass from Carlos Delgado allowed Sahal Abdul Samad to break forward. The winger lobbed the ball into the path of Nihal Sudeesh, but it was inches away from the substitute who had just come on.

Seven minutes from time, Carneiro unleashed a fierce strike at the near post after a short free kick. The ball hit the upright and flashed across the face of goal before coming to Marko Leskovic. The defender decided to cross rather than shoot at the empty goal and ended up giving possession away to the Juggernauts.

Four minutes from time, the constant pressure from Kerala Blasters paid off as they got their noses in front. Substitute Bryce Miranda curled a cross into the box from the left flank. Amrinder Singh came out to punch it but missed the ball as it bounced and fell to Sandeep who headed it into an empty net.

The crucial win against a top-six rival takes Kerala Blasters two points clear of ATK Mohun Bagan. Odisha FC remained in sixth place, level on points with FC Goa. They host Mumbai City FC next on January 2.
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PHOTO: Soraisham Sandeep Singh celebrates after scoring against Odisha FC during their ISL match in Kochi on 26 December 2022. (Photo Courtesy: FSDL)