Punjab FC started aggressively, with Bishu Sharma firing narrowly over the crossbar from outside the box in the second minute. Their early pressure paid off when Messi Bouli was brought down inside the penalty area by Gaurav Bora. The striker stepped up and confidently converted the resulting penalty, sending his left-footed effort into the top-right corner to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Churchill Brothers gradually grew into the contest and looked to respond through their attacking players. Trijoy Dias headed wide from a Gutiérrez cross following a set-piece situation, while goalkeeper Sayad Kadir made important saves to deny Manglenthang Kipgen and Planas as Punjab searched for a second goal.

The hosts eventually found their equaliser in the 37th minute. Vincy Barretto delivered a cross into the penalty area, and Gutiérrez finished from close range, slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner to make it 1-1. However, Punjab responded almost immediately. In the 40th minute, Planas found space inside the box and drilled a right-footed effort into the bottom-left corner to restore the Shers’ advantage.

Churchill refused to back down and struck again just before half-time. Gutiérrez completed his brace in the second minute of stoppage time, turning the ball into the bottom-left corner with a close-range finish to bring the score to 2-2 and set up an intriguing second half.

Both sides continued to search for a winner after the restart. Messi Bouli came close to scoring his second in the 55th minute, but his header from Planas’ cross was saved by Kadir. At the other end, Wayde Lekay tested Punjab goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh in the 75th minute, but the effort from the right side of the box was kept out.

Punjab maintained their attacking intent in the closing stages. Bouli created another opportunity in the 82nd minute, setting up Sanathoi Singh inside the box, but Kadir produced another save to keep Churchill level. The visitors, however, continued to press and found the breakthrough they had been chasing in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Messi Bouli once again turned provider, picking out Sanathoi Singh inside the penalty area. The forward made no mistake, firing a right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner to give Punjab FC a decisive 3-2 lead and spark celebrations among the visitors.

Churchill Brothers attempted one final response, with Lekay sending a long-range effort narrowly over the crossbar, but Punjab held firm to secure a dramatic victory. In a contest featuring two comebacks and five goals, Sanathoi Singh’s last-gasp strike proved decisive, handing the Shers a memorable three points in an entertaining ISL encounter.

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Mumbai City began on the front foot, enjoying possession and looking to create opportunities through their build-up play. Brandon Fernandes came close to opening the scoring in the ninth minute after connecting with Wilmar Jordan’s cross, but Churchill goalkeeper Sayad Kadir made the save. The hosts responded quickly, with Vincy Barretto driving forward and firing just over the crossbar a minute later.

Both sides continued to search for a breakthrough, with Mumbai City attempting to threaten from set-pieces while Churchill looked to exploit spaces on the counter. Wayde Lekay tested the Islanders’ defence with a long-range effort in the 37th minute, but neither team managed to find the net before half-time.

Churchill made a key change at the break, bringing on Gaurav Bora for Alexander Yeoule, and the defender soon made a decisive impact. In the 57th minute, Anil Gaonkar delivered a cross following a short corner, allowing Bora to rise above the defence and head the ball into the net. The goal marked a landmark moment for Churchill Brothers, giving the club its first-ever goal in the ISL.

The hosts nearly extended their advantage moments later when Lekay unleashed a curling effort from distance that struck the crossbar. Mumbai City responded with a triple substitution in the 62nd minute in an attempt to regain control, but the Islanders struggled to create clear-cut chances as Churchill remained organised at the back.

Churchill continued to threaten as the match entered its final stages, and their persistence paid off in the 86th minute. Stendley Fernandes, who had come on shortly before, provided the assist for Sebastian Gutierrez, who finished from inside the box to make it 2-0 and put the hosts firmly in control.

Mumbai City were handed a late opportunity to get back into the contest when Angu fouled Akash Mishra inside the penalty area during stoppage time. Llamas stepped up and converted from the spot in the third minute of added time to reduce the deficit to 2-1. However, Churchill held their nerve through the closing moments to preserve their lead.

The result marks a memorable beginning to Churchill Brothers’ ISL journey, with Bora’s historic strike and Gutierrez’s late finish securing all three points. Mumbai City, meanwhile, will look to bounce back in their next fixture after being unable to recover from the hosts’ second-half surge.

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With East Bengal breathing down their necks, Akbar Nawas’ side is on the cusp of creating history and all eyes will be on their star forward Pedro Manzi, who has had a breathtaking debut season in Indian football.

The Spaniard, who has scored 20 goals so far, is tied with Churchill Brothers’ Willis Plaza at the top of the Highest Scorers’ race, and if things go according to his plan on Saturday, he can end up with two trophies to cherish for a lifetime.

I-League.org caught up with the 30-year-old marksman for an exclusive chat ahead of the deciding clash. Here are some excerpts.

Q) What are your thoughts on the season so far? Were you expecting to be on top in the final rounds of the season?

PM) We have worked hard to be where we are at this moment on the table. Our philosophy is to go out and win all the matches, and so yes, I have to say we expected to be fighting for the title, come the end of the season.

Q) Your partnership with your Spanish compatriots has been talked about a lot. What are your thoughts on it?

PM) We’ve known each other for years now! We have played together in Spain, which certainly makes things easier on and off the pitch. However, it’s not just about the association between us foreign players – the domestic Indian players also form an important part of the team and have a major role to play.

Q) What are your thoughts on the Indian players in the team? Do you feel they have the potential to make it big in the coming years?

PM) Definitely, the Indian players in the team are full of potential. There are a number of young talents such as Romario Jesuraj, Ajith Kumar, etc. who are constantly improving and help the team perform better in the competition.

Q) What has coach Akbar Nawas’ role been in the team’s strong performance?

PM) The coach has played an extremely important role, especially considering the fact that we are trying to play with a philosophy that is very different from the one played here in India. He has assessed the strengths of each player excellently and turned us into a cohesive unit.

Q) What would being the top scorer and possible league champion mean to you professionally and personally?

PM) Being the golden boot winner is obviously a huge honour but the most important thing is to win the league. The team has worked really hard to get where we are and we just need to keep up the spirit and give our best in the last Hero I-League match. From there, we will look to carry forward our momentum into the Hero Super Cup.

Also Read: Joseph winner helps Gokulam steer clear of relegation

Also Read: Esqueda and East Bengal take title race to final day!

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The Red & Golds will keep an eye on league leaders Chennai City FC, who are just three points ahead of them. Chennai has played a game more.

The game is crucial for Churchill who is at fourth. A win on Sunday would catapult them to second as the league enters a crucial phase.

The hosts eked out an impressive odd-goal win against the Goan outfit in the first leg game the previous year. Given how QEB beat Shillong Lajong 5-0 in the previous game, Churchill will be wary of the home team’s form.

Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez Garcia got the best out of QEB’s Indian and foreign players. He has used the squad judiciously throughout the campaign.

Garcia’s team is the only in the 11-team league to have an Indian player as top-scorer. Jobby Justin’s nine goals make him numero uno in the goal scorer’s list. Laldanmawia Ralte scored seven goals and is second best in QEB’s scoring charts.

Garcia said this at the pre-game press conference: “Churchill Brothers is a difficult team. This team has always been close to the top of the table and they score very easily which is very dangerous for our team. I prepare to win matches and if I prepare something for defence, then it will not be for one player. It will be for defending against the team and to avoid the opponent getting chances. We have our plan to win against Churchill Brothers and not against Plaza or anyone individually.”

Churchill endured a shock-loss to bottom-placed Shillong Lajong at home. It may come to haunt them as the league reaches its business end.

They have had two standout contributors this season. Trinidadian striker Willis Deon Plaza has notched up a phenomenal 17 goals in as many games. He was scoring at will at one stage of the campaign!

Skipper Dawda Cessay has been the other standout player. His nine assists are the most by any player in the league. As revealed by their coach, his absence will be a big blow for Churchill.

Churchill’s Romanian coach Petre Gigui had this to say: “Tomorrow’s match is not a do or die match for us. We will be fighting like every other game but it will be difficult. It is not the same atmosphere because we have lost many points in the last three games. Maybe the pressure was too much and at the same time we don’t have the complete first 11 players – Eldor, Ceesay, Mohanraj, Richard Costa – they are all injured and won’t be playing tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be playing against a very good team. They have good players and very good foreigners too. Plus their spectators’ support will be there because the people in Kolkata love their football.”

Expect a cracker at the VYBK on Sunday!

Also Read: Gokulam and Arrows share honors in dour contest

Also Read: Late Singh goal helps Bagan beat Aizawl

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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

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The 2-1 result was the same as the earlier game at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) where East Bengal had lost after taking the lead.

Chennai’s Spanish striker Pedro Manzi scored his 11th goal of the season while Romario Jesuraj also scored to take the hosts to the top of the 12th Hero I-League, five points ahead of second-placed Churchill Brothers.

East Bengal are on sixth with a game in hand. Despite Laldanmawia Ralte’s fourth goal of the season their hopes of winning a first ever I-League trophy looks like a mirage.

Both teams made one change to their starting eleven. East Bengal coach Alejandro Garcia was forced to replace Lalram Chullova (suspended after a red-card in the game against Indian Arrows) with Samad Ali Mallick.

Chennai coach Akbar Nawas, on the other hand, played Pravitto Raju in place of Shem Martin Eugene.

East Bengal took an early lead in the ninth minute. As defender Borja desperately headed back across goal in a bid to clear…the ball fell to Ralte who nodded home from close range!

Chennai upped the ante as they searched for an equalizer. A wonderful pass from Roberto Eslava found its way into the box to Nestor only for Samad to shield him away in the nick of time.

As Sandro unleashed a rasping drive from outside the box East Bengal goalkeeper Dagar executed a fine save in the 34th minute. Though Chennai were a goal down into the break they clearly were the better team.

They equalized in the 49th minute thanks to Manzi’s 11th goal of the season. That strike made him the season’s joint top-scorer with Churchill’s Willis Plaza.

Romario Jesuraj had pulled the ball back for an onrushing Edwin Vanspaul in the build-up to the goal. And as Vanspaul’s strike deflected off Manzi and wrong-footed Dagar…Chennai had equalized!

The hosts later went ahead thanks to a brilliant tactical change by Nawas. Raju was sent wide on the right and Romario Jesuraj was brought in-field.

A failed interception by East Bengal left back Manoj Mohammad allowed Raju to lay it off for Romario who shot to the top right past a befuddled Dagar!

Romario Jesuraj was adjudged the ‘Hero of the Match’.

Both teams play their next game in four days’ time. Chennai play Aizawl at home while East Bengal face an in-form Indian Arrows in Kolkata.

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Norde magic helps Bagan down Neroca FC

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Real Kashmir inch closer to top after Aizawl stalemate

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Though Kashmir are level on points with second-placed Churchill Brothers they still are behind on goal-difference. The Snow Leopards are third in the 12th Hero I-League table (at the time of writing).

Aizawl made three changes to the team as Govin Singh, Paul Ramfangzaua and youngster Lalremsanga played. Lalremsanga made his first start in the I-League in place of the injured Ansumanah Kromah and Lalkhawpuimawia.

Real Kashmir coach David Robertson fielded the playing XI which had won against Mohun Bagan. Aizawl defender Kareem played out of position (in attack) alongside skipper Alfred Jaryan and local boy Paul Ramfangzaua. Despite early promise Aizawl’s attack petered out as striker Remsanga was shut out by the towering Kashmir defenders.

Aizawl had a good chance to score in the first-half but Remsanga’s shot went past the crossbar! Kashmir on the other hand had their own woes as was evident by striker Kofi Tetteh’s predicament. Tetteh failed to score despite rounding goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh in the first-half.

The absence of striker Gnohere Krizo hurt Kashmir who looked inept in front of goal. Full marks to Richard Kassaga who marshaled the Aizawl defence throughout. Come the second-half and as Tetteh dummied a pass to Suchandra, the latter’s powerful shot was blocked by Kassaga.

Kashmir later went on the offensive while Aizawl were defending in their own half. And as Danish Farooq’s curler was acrobatically saved by Gurpreet, the home fans voiced their approval. The home team did make one last attempt to score but the game eventually finished at 0-0.

Aizawl skipper Alfred Kemah Jaryan’s gusty performance earned him the ‘Hero of the Match’ award.

Also Read: We need to win against Bahrain: Constantine

Also Read: Tricky but still very possible! A look at India’s Knockout round chances 

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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

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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

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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’.

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