Kerala Blasters transform like Sarah Connor to terminate their fears in dramatic ISL season

Kerala Blasters' campaign in ISL (Indian Super League) 2026 felt like Sarah Connor transforming from her damsel-in-distress role in the first Terminator movie to a fearless warrior in the second part.

Whoever saw the Blasters in the first half of the season wouldn’t have guessed what was to come next. Like Sarah sobbing and panicking through the plot, the Blasters stared at relegation with just a point in the bag after six rounds.

Then came the Judgment Day that produced an incredible turnaround in the club’s season, like Ms Connor transforming into a hardened warrior, fearless in the face of adversity. The change began on April 11, when the Blasters defeated Bengaluru FC, 2-1, in Bengaluru.

That was the start of an unbeaten run that remained unbroken on the final day in Kochi on Monday, when the yellow brigade edged FC Goa, 2-1, stretching their mini invincible run to six games and ending the season on a high.

Fallou Ndiaye scored the winner in the 80th minute after Muhammed Nemil (61) cancelled out Kevin Yoke's 47th-minute opener. The Blasters had less than 40% possession, but they had a never-say-die attitude.

Credit goes to Ashley Westwood, who came in as an interim boss after the disastrous first half and changed the fortunes of the club. The muscular Mr Westwood had taken over from skinny Spaniard, David Catala, to give the Blasters a Terminator-esque ending.

Meanwhile, the final match had more than 13,800 fans in attendance despite the club's biggest fan group, Manjappada, continuing its boycott over alleged mismanagement by those running the organisation.