ISL 2018-19: Kerala Blasters start campaign with 2-0 win over ATK

The win sends Kerala Blasters to the top of the table. Coppell's men would need to fix more than their finishing woes if they are to justify their two-times champions tag

9:39 PM

9:25 PM

Full-time. Full-time match report to follow

9:25 PM

Minute 90+4 -- Refree blows the final whistle. That's it for today. Kerala make a winning start with goals by Poplatnik and Stojanovic. Kolkata, playing at home and despite the record of never losing their opening match, crumbled and rarely threatened the Kerala goal

9:21 PM

Minute 90 -- 4 minutes of added time

9:21 PM

Minute 89 -- Kerala's hero Matej Poplatnik is taken off for the final minutes. Kizito Keziron replaces him

9:20 PM

Minute 86 (GOAL!!) -- Stojanovic scores Kerala's second!! The Serbian controls a long ball near the box, twists, turns and frees himself off two Kolkata defenders and strikes it into the top-left corner!! Sweet sweet strike. Kolkata 0-Kerala 2

9:14 PM

9:12 PM

Minute 78 -- ATK make a change. Cavin Lobi comes in for Jayesh Rane

9:12 PM

Minute 76 (GOAL!!)-- Slovanian Poplatnik breaks the deadlock with a looping header. Although it did have an element of luck in it. Stojanovic's effort at goal is deflected and falls kindly for Poplatnik who heads it past Bhattacharja. ATK-0, KERALA 1.

9:07 PM

Minute 76 -- Slovanian Poplatnik breaks the deadlock with a looping header

9:06 PM

Minute 72 -- Double substitution: Kalu Uche is on for El Maimouni Noussair

 

Kolkata's Lyngdoh on for Balwant Singh

9:03 PM

Minute 69 -- Substitution: Kerala's CK Vineeth comes in for Len.

9:00 PM

Minute 68 -- Kerala gets a free-kick which is floated into the mix, Jhingan leaps into the air but his effort sails above the crossbar

8:59 PM

Minute 67 -- Kerala's Rakip goes on a long sprinting run, lays it off and gets it back, reaches the byline and tries to pass it into the box but it's cleared.

8:57 PM

Minute 65 -- There's some action on the field, not in footballing terms though as Zico and Antonio bring each other to ground and exchange looks

8:54 PM

Minute 62 -- Kerala do a fine job of sweeping out an attack and start one of their own. The players string some fine passes together, but Poplatnik, surrounded by three Kolkata players lets go from quite a distance. The shot is tame and off target

8:47 PM

Minute 56 -- Nothing much happening in the second half.

8:44 PM

8:43 PM

Minute 48 -- Kerala attack and Doungel has an opportunity from near the box but his shot is tame and fails to trouble Arindam who gobbles it up

8:39 PM

Substitution for Kerala. Sahal Abdul Samad makes way for Courage Pekuson

8:30 PM

Half-time report: The match is balanced at half-time. Kerala started magnificently, carving out chances almost at will. Most of those chances came from Lalruatthara's feet who dazzled down the left flank but none of those chances were converted. Stojanovic missed a chance to take an early lead. In the 22nd minute, Poplatnik had a delicious one-on-one situation to capitalise on but was let down by his first touch. Kolkata's first real chance came through Everton Santos who, after receiving a long ball outside the box, unleashed a rocket of a shot that just misses the crossbar by a whisker.

 

Kerala's Saha dances outside the box to make room for himself and goes for the bottom right-corner but Bhattacharja dived to his right and parried the shot for a corner. 

 

But the biggest miss for ATK came in the 38th minute! Kolkata got a corner and it's delivered perfectly to find Jayesh Rane all alone but he could head his effort beyond the the near post.

 

Chances have been there aplenty and a goal seems to come sooner than later. Stay tuned.

8:19 PM

Minute 45+1 -- That's the end of first half. ATK 0-0 Kerala Blasters

8:18 PM

Minute 45 -- One minute of extra time in the match where chances have gone begging, the best one of them just 6-7 minutes ago.

8:13 PM

Minute 38 -- Big miss for ATK! Kolkata get a corner and it's delivered perfectly to find Jayesh Rane all alone but his header goes past the near post. A dear dear miss

8:09 PM

Minute 36 -- ATK's Halder with a beautiful give and go outside the Kerala box. He then goes for a shot but it's straight at the hands of Dheeraj who does a neat job

8:06 PM

Minute 32 -- Sahal dances outside the box to make room for himself and goes for the bottom right-corner. It's a tricky bouncing ball too, but Bhattacharja dives to his right and parries the shot for a corner

8:03 PM

Minute 29 -- Kerala's Samad tries a volley but his effort is blocked

8:01 PM

Minute 26 -- Kolkata's Everton Santos receives a long ball outside the box and unleashes a rocket of a shot that just misses the crossbar by a whisker, although way above the desperately diving Dheeraj.

7:58 PM

Minute 22 -- Another glorious opportunity for Poplatnik who receives a delicious-looking pass to make it a one-on-one situation but is let down by his first-touch

7:53 PM

Minute 20 (YELLOW) -- First yellow of the season. Elmaimouni Noussair who cuts short a Kerala attack in the midfield through illegal means