Kochi: Amul’s Sports.com Super League has reached a thrilling conclusion with Malappuram FC securing the top spot after a decisive 4-1 victory over Force Kochi at Maharaja’s Stadium. John Kennedy scored twice, with Roy Krishna and Abdul Haque adding one goal each for Malappuram, while Kochi’s consolation goal came from Sajish. After five matches, Malappuram tops the table with nine points, while Kochi sits at the bottom with five losses.
Brazilian player John Kennedy, who scored in the last two matches, was given a starting opportunity. In the ninth minute, a corner taken by Tony almost resulted in a goal but went just wide. Kochi’s Romario Jesuraj and goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar were both booked for fouls in quick succession on Malappuram’s Irshad and John Kennedy.
In the 32nd minute, Kochi’s Brazilian star Douglas Tardim left the field due to injury, replaced by Dutch player Van Kessel. Malappuram scored their first goal in the 39th minute when referee awarded a penalty after Kochi’s goalkeeper fouled Roy Krishna. Roy scored from the spot, making it 1-0. This was the second penalty goal for the Fijian player in the league. During stoppage time in the first half, Malappuram doubled their lead when John Kennedy received a pass from Alan Saju and scored with a powerful shot, bringing the score to 2-0.
At the start of the second half, Kochi made a substitution, bringing in under-23 player Mohammed Murshid for goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar. Malappuram’s third goal came in the 54th minute when John Kennedy scored again after taking advantage of a mistake by Kochi’s substitute goalkeeper Murshid, extending the lead to 3-0. This brought Kennedy’s tally to four goals in the league. In the 59th minute, Kochi’s Gitty Gracious received a red card, having accumulated two yellow cards in quick succession. In the 65th minute, Kochi pulled one back as Sajish scored from a pass by Nijo Gilbert, making it 3-1. Abdul Haque scored Malappuram’s fourth goal during injury time, finishing the match at 4-1. A total of 4,998 spectators attended the game.
On Friday, November 7, in the last match of the fifth round, Kannur Warriors FC will face Thrissur Magic FC at Jawaharlal Stadium in Kannur, kicking off at 7:30 PM. This will be the home match for the Kannur team, held in a stadium that has recently undergone renovations, a change from last season when their home matches were played at EMS Stadium in Kozhikode.
Live:
The match will be broadcast live on Sony Ten 2, DD Malayalam, and Sports.com. In the UAE, viewers can watch it on E Vision channel 742 of Ithaa Salath.