Gokulam get first win of IFL season, can Kerala Blasters follow suit in ISL?

Gokulam Kerala secured their first win of the Indian Football League (IFL) season by defeating Dempo SC 2-0 in Manjeri on Friday.

Moses Lalrinzuala (20') and captain Mirjalol Kasimov (83) scored. Gokulam had drawn the first two matches of the season before losing 0-1 to Sreenidi Deccan last week.

With five points from four matches, Gokulam have moved into the seventh position, just two points behind the top spot shared by Sreenidi, Shillong Lajong and Rajasthan United.

The opener came after a neat exchange of passes between Moses and Thabiso Brown. In the second half, Brown, the striker from Lesotho, missed a penalty. However, skipper Kasimov found the net, again from the spot, late in the match to make it 2-0.

Goalkeeper Shibinraj made a series of saves, which ensured a cleansheet for the hosts, and earned him the Player of the Match award.

Gokulam next play Shillong at the same venue, Payyanad Stadium, on March 26. That will be followed by another home game, against Aizawl, on March 31.

The IFL is the new name for I-League, the second division of men's club football in the country after the ISL. Gokulam are the only representatives of Kerala in the league, just like Kerala Blasters are in the ISL.

The two Kerala-based sides had made poor starts to their respective leagues, with Gokulam taking just two points from their first three matches and the Blasters making just a point from their first four outings. The Blasters, who play Punjab FC at home in Kochi on Saturday, will hope to claim their first win of the campaign just like Gokulam did.