Danish Aribam (9th min), Deepak Singh (22ne min) and Abraham Okyere (76th min) scored a goal each to help TRAU FC earn their first win of the I-League 2023-24 season, beating newcomers Inter Kashi 3-0 at the Kalyani Stadium, here on Sunday.
The result, a big boost for the club from Manipur who have travelled to Kalyani to make it their home this season, have managed a solitary draw and suffered seven defeats in their eight games preceding this match. Their poor form, however, means that they remain rooted to rock bottom on the table.
Determined to turn their fortunes around, the Red Pythons came out all guns blazing, as Danish Aribam gave them the lead in the ninth minute, while Deepak Singh doubled the advantage in the 22nd. Abraham Okyere’s 76th-minute fireball of a strike only helped put the result beyond all doubt.
A moment of magic seemed to raise TRAU out of their early season slumber. Danish sold a dummy to Inter Kashi defender Lalruatthara, who had his heel dug into the Kalyani turf, attempting to keep the inside angle blocked.
The 19-year-old quickly transferred the ball to his left and shot it in, beating Inter Kashi’s experienced keeper Arindam Bhattacharya at the near post.
The second goal also saw a moment of brilliance, albeit from the provider Robinson Singh, who nestled a perfect cross-field through ball into the path of a scampering Deepak on the right.
On the move, the latter laced his shot goalwards, and the 33-year-old Bhattacharya was beaten at his near post once again, leaving the Inter Kashi camp shell-shocked.
It was a commendable comeback by Inter Kashi in the second half, at least in terms of mentality, as they shook off their first-half slumber and tried to gain control of the match.
They constantly maintained possession in the middle of the park and looked to overload the TRAU penalty area with bodies, as they sent in the deliveries from the wide areas.
They were, however, playing right into TRAU’s hands. The Manipur side dug in and waited for their chances, which hardly came at a premium. They exploited their place on the flanks, and the acres of space left by Inter Kashi; their reward, a three-goal cushion, came in the 76th minute through Abraham Okyere.
The Ghanaian sprinted past Bijoy V.B and squared it to Danish, who dribbled past seasoned campaigners Julen Perez and Peter Hartley, before sending it back to Okyere. It was a simple equation for the Ghanaian, who blasted it past Bhattacharya, albeit at the far post this time.
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