Kalyani: Defending champions Gokulam Kerala thrashed Real Kashmir FC 5-1 while Mohammedan Sporting remained unbeaten with a 3-1 win over Sreenidi Deccan in their I-League matches on Monday.
Luka Majcen (4th, 38th) and Jourdaine Fletcher (5th, 27th) scored a brace each, while Jithin (66th) struck once for Gokulam against a 10-man Real Kashmir, who got their lone goal through Tiago Adan (48th).
Gokulam made a flying start to the match at Kalyani stadium as Prakash Sarkar handled the ball inside the six-yard box in the fourth minute after a deflection from the goalpost and was given a straight red card.
Luka Majcen converted the resultant spot kick to give Gokulam Kerala a 1-0 lead.
In less than a minute, Gokulam doubled their lead, with Jourdaine Fletcher hitting a left-footed shot into the right bottom corner of the goal.
A 10-man Real Kashmir continued to feel the pressure as the defending champions made dangerous moves inside their half. In the 27th minute, Abdul Hakku provided a beautiful pass to Jourdaine Fletcher who netted it once again to make it 3-0 for Gokulam.
Two minutes later, Abhash Thapa denied Fletcher his hat-trick as he cleared the ball from the goal line.
In the 38th minute, Luka Majcen scored his second goal of the match after an error from Real Kashmir's defence saw the ball land on the Slovenian's left foot. Majcen made no mistake and handed his team a four-goal lead with ease.
Just after resumption, Gokulam's Thahir Zaman conceded a penalty and Tiago Adan converted from the spot.
Emil Benny, who was looking very threatening in the defensive third, made a delightful pass to Jithin in the 66th minute, who struck a half-volley on the bottom right corner of the net to add the fifth goal for Gokulam.
At the Naihati stadium, Marcus Joseph (40th, 51st) scored a brace before Andelo Rudovic's 89th minute strike as Mohammedan Sporting came from a goal down to defeat Sreenidi Deccan 3-1.
David Munoz scored the lone goal for Sreenidi Deccan in the 16th minute.
The victory consolidated Mohammedan Sporting's lead at the top of table with three wins from their first three matches.
Sreenidi Deccan gave the first blow on their opponents in the 16th minute, when David Munoz picked up the ball after Mohammedan players gave away possession in their half. The Colombian forward made them pay as he produced a low long range drive which rifled into the bottom corner.
The Black and White Brigade made their way back into the game through striker Marcus Joseph in the 40th minute. Captain Nikola Stojanovic gave the assist for the goal as it was his left footed cross which was met by Joseph's head inside the box as the ball nestled into the bottom right corner of keeper Shibinraj Kunniyil's goal.
With scores level going into the break, it took a moment of magic from Mohammedan Sporting in the 51st minute to turn the contest on its head. Marcus Joseph struck from 30 yards that left goalkeeper Kunniyil hapless as the ball went past him like a bullet into the top corner.
Mohammedan Sporting were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute and Andelo Rudovic, from Montenegro, stepped up to send the ball into the right corner to seal all three points for his side.
