Santosh Trophy: Kerala take a streaky win

BHUBANESWAR: Defending champions Kerala edging out Goa 3-2 in the opening game of the Santosh Trophy thanks to an injury time winner by OM Asif.

It was a game that turned on its head in the space of 13 minutes in the second half. Kerala, having taken the lead courtesy a Nijo Gilbert penalty (27') proceeded to score a second in the 57th, Riswanali Edakkavil tapping in from close range off a corner. The defending champions looked in cruise control, when suddenly disaster struck. Goa pulled one goal back in the 60th minute via a Mahammed Faheez penalty, and suddenly the momentum shifted. Faheez added a second in the 73rd minute to draw them level and a massive upset looked on the cards. Both sides missed a flurry of chances in the final ten minutes, before Asif tapped in the winner in the first minute of injury time to ensure the defending champions started off with a win.

Also Read: Saurashtra fight back; Bengal continue to dominate

Also Watch: