Hyderabad FC settles for draw in last ISL league encounter against Kerala Blasters FC

The result also meant that Kerala Blasters wrapped up the campaign with 29 points to finish eighth while HFC finished at the penultimate place with 18 points

Hyderabad: Former champions, Hyderabad FC, settled for a one-all draw against Kerala Blasters FC in the final league match of the Indian Super League (ISL)
championship at the GMC Balayogi Stadium here on Wednesday.

The result also meant that Kerala Blasters wrapped up the campaign with 29 points to finish eighth while HFC finished at the penultimate place with 18 points. It was the Kerala outfit which was on the offensive straight away with Korou Singh and Mohammed Aimen interlinking to test the rival defence.

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Korou’s cross was shot by Aimen but thwarted for a corner, from which the latter supplied a teasing delivery for Dušan Lagator, which was headed in from close range into the bottom right corner in the seventh minute to secure the advantage for the visitors. Aimen and Adrian Luna joined hands around the 20th minute mark, with the latter serving a pass from well around 35 yards out. Aimen backed his instincts to go for a long-range effort and did well to land the shot on target, but Arshdeep Singh held his composure to save the shot in time.

The 22-year-old returned the favour in the 44th minute, turning provider for Luna well inside the 18-yard-box, which the seasoned attacker made an effort at from his left foot, managing to deliver the ball on target. The shot lacked enough power to rattle the net though, and the attack that Hyderabad FC built as a result of this move grabbed them the equaliser.

They operated in tandem from the back to the front, moving the ball up with precision and power and the sequence culminated with Sourav K spotting a pocket of space in the penalty area and nestling the ball into the top right corner to go into the break with the scores levelled at 1-1.

Hyderabad FC earned a fantastic chance to recover their lead in the 52nd minute, courtesy of a foul by Luna, but Andrei Alba’s effort from the spot was saved in the bottom left corner by Nora Fernandes.