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NorthEast United FC ended their Kalinga Cup campaign on a high as they thrashed Kerala Blasters 4-1 in a Group B match at the Kalinga Stadium Main Pitch in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, January 20, 2024.
For NorthEast United FC, Parthib Sundar Gogoi, Mohammed Ali Bemamaer, Redeem Tlang and Jithin MS were the scorers. Diamantakos Dimitrios reduced the margin for Kerala Blasters.
With Jamshedpur FC having already qualified for the semifinals from this group, the match was inconsequential for both teams. Understandably, then, the ISL sides were playing for bragging rights and NorthEast United FC stamped their authority in the game convincingly.
The win helped NorthEast United FC finish second in their group behind Jamshedpur FC with six points from three matches. Kerala Blasters finished third.
NorthEast United FC took the lead even before Kerala Blasters could settle into the match. In the second minute of the match, Gogoi beat his marker with pace and slotted the ball past Kerala Blasters goalkeeper easily.
Kerala Blasters tried to wage a fightback and came close to scoring at the stroke of halftime, but Hamza Regragui’s shot was saved by an onrushing NorthEast United FC goalkeeper Sachin Suresh.
NorthEast United FC extended their lead in the 68th minute when Bemmamaer’s low free-kick found the back of the net after a wicked deflection.
The Kerala Blasters finally scored when Diamantakos made a darting run to go past the NorthEast United FC defenders and scored with a brilliant left-footed shot. Kerala Blasters’ hopes of finding the equaliser was quickly extinguished when NorthEast United FC scored their third goal. Tlang’s thunderous strike nestled into the net after a Kerala Blasters defender failed to clear a corner effectively.
NorthEast United FC piled on more misery on Kerala Blasters when Jithin MS raced past a Blasters defender and the onrushing goalkeeper to score a fine goal.
