Anthony Wolfe’s late penalty canceled out Dipanda Dicka’s 39th-minute goal.

Churchill is third in the 12th Hero I-League table while Mohun Bagan is in sixth having played a game less.

The coaches — Petra Gigiu (Churchill Brothers) and Khalid Jamil (Mohun Bagan) — rang in numerous changes and are still searching for a win in three successive games.

This crucial period can make or break their title aspirations as the league will end within a month.

The game was a dour affair as Mohun Bagan took the lead into the break thanks to Dicka’s opportunistic strike. It was his seventh goal in the season so far.

Haitian winger Sony Norde missed an early chance and Lybian defender Hussein Eldor hit the woodwork in the 17th minute for Churchill. Dicka scored six minutes before the end of the first half.

The home team was more unsettled by the fact that they lost two key players to injury prior to conceding. Hussein Eldor was replaced by Rowlinson Rodriguez and Richard Costa was stretchered away in tears and was replaced by Aniston Fernandes.

Sony Norde was brought down inside the Churchill half by Wayne Vaz as the latter kept the Haitian in check throughout the game. Abinash Ruidas floated in the freekick to Henry Kisekka who headed towards Dicka.

The Cameroonian looked to have been well covered by Rowlinson, who in his attempt to clear, flummoxed his own goalkeeper Vicky Baskaran as he missed with his right foot and touched the ball with his left. Dicka who had not given up pursuit tapped home from close range.

Churchill regained composure in the second half and pressed on for the equalizer. They couldn’t hit the target despite a few good chances. Bagan, meanwhile, had a solid punch by Omar Elhusseiny saved by Baskaran on the half-hour mark.

Central defender Eze Kingsley who had a good game was adjudged to have brought down substitute Wolfe inside the box. The Trinidadian beat goalkeeper Shilton Paul from the spot to level things up.

The game finished at 1-1 as both teams rued another missed opportunity for getting three points. This has been the theme for both teams throughout the season.

Also Read: Robin Singh ends goal drought as Pune-ATK encounter end in 2-2 draw

Also Read: Chennaiyin expose chinks in Bengaluru’s armour

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Wolfe’s late penalty gives Churchill draw against Bagan appeared first on Football Counter.

The win takes Churchill to second spot in the points table.

Though Marcus Joseph did get a goal on debut still Bino George’s team suffered a sixth loss in as many games. Churchill are now two points behind league leaders Chennai while Gokulam are in eighth spot.

Plaza scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season to go to the top of the goal-scoring charts (he had temporarily lost it to Chennai’s Pedro Manzi). Both teams made wholesale changes to their starting XI.

Gokulam brought in six new names which also included new-recruit Marcus Joseph (for Joel Sunday).

Center-back Fabricio Ortiz made a comeback from suspension while Arnab Das Sharma played in goal.

In contrast, Churchill was forced to bring in new names due to injuries to Hussein Eldor and Wayne Vaz.

Dawda Cessay, Willis Plaza and Anthony Wolfe were paired upfront.

Gokulam got the lead in the 14th minute when James Kithan embarrassingly let in Joseph’s 30-yard strike through his legs!

Churchill almost equalized (after another goalkeeping gaffe!) if it were not for Plaza’s miss from outside the box!

Pritam Singh’s miss off a sitter highlighted Gokulam’s laxity in front of goal.

Cessay leveled the game with a thunderous left-footed strike in the 37th minute.

George was forced to replace an injured but in-form Rajesh with Mohammad Rashid in the second-half.

He had earlier brought in Abhishek Das for Jestin George.

Churchill who attacked relentlessly were frustrated by the heroics of Das Sharma in the second-half.

Willis Plaza got his 10th goal of the season with a stabbed volley off a cross from the right in the 56th minute.

Plaza scored his second (and Churchill’s third) with a fine solo effort in the first minute of injury time.

Dawda Cessay was named as the ‘Hero of the Match’.

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Bagan down Minerva to stay alive in title race

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Experience to the fore as East Bengal edge out Arrows

Follow Football Counter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football.

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Cessay-Plaza score as Churchill outclass Gokulam appeared first on Football Counter.

The last time these two teams met in Kozhikode the game had ended in a 1-1 draw. Churchill need a win to stay alive in the title race.

Churchill has been more effective despite both teams playing an enterprising brand of football so far.

It may be noted that Gokulam hasn’t won a game in two months!

The home team has maintained its position in the top half of the league despite losing key players to injuries.

“I know its very difficult to win the championship. Now that we are in the fifth position, it is very important for our players to try their best to win, as theoretically, we can but practically, we will see,” said Churchill’s Romanian coach Petra Gigiu.

He also spoke on missing out on key players during match-day: “Tomorrow’s match is not an easy game. It’s a good team and their players work hard. Nenad will be missing tomorrow’s match because of his booking but Eldor will be making his comeback tomorrow and Plaza too, which can be of advantage to our team. We will try to come back and score in tomorrow’s game.”

Kerala coach Bino George on the other hand has had problems with his foreign recruits.

Marcus Joseph, who top-scored in the Trinidad & Tobago Pro-League, may make his Gokulam debut on Thursday.

Joel Sunday, who appeared in three games, has been released. Antonio German’s departure didn’t help matters either. George also brought in Ghana’s Christian Sabah and Ivory Coast’s Arthur Kouassi to bolster the attack.

George who expects a lot from his new recruits had this to say: “Recently we have two new strikers, Marcus Joseph from Trinidad & Tobago and Charles from Ghana, so the team is hoping to play well. I know the Goans have good foreign players. Our style of playing is attacking football and after the two new strikers have joined, our team’s confidence levels have increased.”

Confidence will be the keyword for George’s team as Churchill have Willis Plaza, Dawda Cessay and Anthony Wolfe in their ranks. The trio has scored 14 of Churchill’s 19 goals so far and would test Gokulam’s defenders to the hilt!

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Bagan down Minerva to stay alive in title race

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Experience to the fore as East Bengal edge out Arrows

Follow Football Counter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football.

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Churchill, Gokulam face-off in potential humdinger appeared first on Football Counter.

In contrast, Minerva Punjab, who are also defending champions, remain in seventh spot after Saturday’s 2-0 loss.

Minerva’s Yu Koboki had two good chances in the first-half but was denied by Churchill custodian James Kithan.

And Churchill boss Petre Gigiu’s decision to introduce Wolfe in the 50th minute turned out to be a masterstroke!

The Trinidadian scored in the 61st minute and then put the game beyond Minerva’s reach with a penalty in the 84th.

This win allows Churchill to arrest their recent slump in form.

Minerva on the other hand have taken only two points from their last four games.

Churchill (currently in third spot) would be overtaken by Real Kashmir if the northerners beat Mohun Bagan on Sunday.

The Red Machines take on Gokulam Kerala in their next game.

Super-sub Wolfe was rightly adjudged as the ‘Hero of the Match’.

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Wolfe brace powers Churchill against Minerva appeared first on Football Counter.