BHUBANESWAR: Odisha FC were staring at defeat and an exit from the ISL during their playoff meeting here against Kerala Blasters on Friday.
Trailing 0-1, there was just a few minutes to go before the referee’s final whistle. Blasters had more bigger chances and seemed to be the more likely team to score. But a brilliantly-crafted goal in the 87th minute turned the match on its head.
The goal was mainly due to Thoiba Singh’s vision as he found Roy Krishna inside the box with a long ball. The latter also did well to find Diego Mauricio on the far post. Dieogo, who came on from the bench, simply had to tap it in to draw the home side level.
Following that development, it was all Odisha as they went on to add another goal in extra time to book a spot in the semifinals, where they’ll meet Mohun Bagan. The second goal was similar to the first.
This time it was Ahmed Jahouh’s pass to Roy, who once again squared the ball towards Isak Ralte, who just had to tap the ball into the net. The final score read 2-1 in Odisha’s favour. On Saturday, Chennaiyin FC will face FC Goa in the second playoffs in Margao.