Kerala Blasters recorded a fine 2-0 win over Army Green in a Group D encounter to make it to the quarterfinals of the 131st Indian Oil Durand Cup football tournament at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday.
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For Blasters, Muhammad Aimen opened the account in the 25th minute and Aritra Das widened the lead in the injury time of the first half. With this win, Blasters gathered seven points.
The youthful Blasters’ brigade began on a positive note with the midfield playing an important role in creating chances.
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A beautiful move resulted in Blasters’ first goal. Roshan Gigi took the ball on the right and passed it on to Mohammed Ajsal and the latter gave it to Aimen on the left. Aimen again underlined his utility as he curled it in with his right foot.
Moments prior to the whistle for the half-time, Aritra took the ball into the box on the left and unleashed a stunning left-footer into the net to spread cheers in the Blasters camp.
Blasters came close to scoring in the second half when Aimen’s attempt hit the left post.
Army Green, which could not make the most of its opportunities in the opening half, created several lovely moves but could not find the target due to Blasters custodian Sachin Suresh’s alertness.
The result: Kerala Blasters 2 (Aimen 25, Aritra 45+3) bt Army Green 0.