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

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: East Bengal face Churchill hurdle in race for top spot 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.