Chances aplenty but goals go missing

Rough play: NorthEast United FC's James Keene (right), seen in a midfield action with Kerala Blasters's Gurwinder Singh, was sent off in the 75th minute, but the home team failed to take any advantage of it.Photo: H.Vibhu.

The three points that Kerala Blasters FC was desperately looking for to get closer to a semifinal slot just did not materialise.

The home side was forced to share points with NorthEast United FC after a disappointing goalless draw in the 13th round of the Hero Indian Super League here on Thursday evening. This despite the visitors being cut down to 10 men after the NEUFC forward James Keene was given the marching orders in the 75th minute.

Blasters created plenty of chances and should have won comfortably with Spaniard Victor Herrero Forcada, from the right, and Stephen Parson, who came up with some brilliant runs on the left, serving plenty of passes to forwards Iain Hume and Milagres Gonzalves but there was fumbling at the finish, especially the latter often looked slow and off-colour.

The home side’s best chance came in the 69th minute when a Nirmal Chettri header off a well-aimed James McAllister corner hit the left post.

The visitors also had a couple of good chances. Their best came midway through the first session when NEUFC captain Miguel Garcia’s header, off a corner, was headed off the line by Mehtab Hossain with the home goalkeeper Sandip Nandy looking a bit shaky.

Nandy, however, was up to the task and pulled off a brilliant save shortly after the break. A Felipe Castro long-ranger had the home boys looking around anxiously but Nandy stretched fully and warded off the danger. He was adjudged the ‘Hero of the match’.

After a goalless first half, wild cheers went up with the arrival of Michael Chopra, in place of Forcada.

Keene red-carded

A little later, with the clock ticking away fast and with no goals coming, the boys turned desperate and the game became rough.

NEUFC forward Keene was given the marching orders for pushing Chopra violently in the 75th minute. Chopra also was flashed a yellow.

There was plenty of fast action towards the end, with NEUFC’s Mtonga and Blasters’ Barisic attempting chances but a goal was still elusive.

Blasters, who stay in the fifth spot with 16 points and fewer goals, host Pune City FC in their last league game on December 9 while NEUFC, in the seventh spot with 14 points, hosts Mumbai City FC in Guwahati the next day.